The research Committee on Chorioretinal Degeneration, incooperation with the Research Committee on theEpidemiology of Intractable Diseases, performed the secondnationwide epidemiological survey of exudative age-relatedmacular degeneration (AMD) in 1993. The number ofexudative AMD patients in all ophthalmology departmentsthroughout Japan was estimated to be 14,400 in 1993. Thisnumber was estimated to have almost doubled over the sixyear period since the initial survey in 1987. The number ofpeople visiting ophthalmology departments due to exudativeAMD was 53 males and 20 females per 100,000 populationaged 50 years or over. The percentage of patients withbilateral disease increased with age and accounted fornearly 50% of those aged 80 years or over.