Purpose:
There is a relationship between VEGF secretion and exsudative age related macular degeneration. The origin of VEGF secretion remains largely unknown in exudative ARMD. Ischemia due to peripheral capillary dropout is evaluated in patients with exudative ARMD as a possible cause of VEGF secretion.
Methods:
A retrospective analysis of angiographic images obtained with wide field angiography by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (OPTOS, Edinburgh, UK) between april 1st and june 30th 2011. The capillary network is analyzed during the different phases of fluorescein angiography. Images of low quality were excluded from analysis.
Results:
The images of 84 consecutive patients were analyzed. 44 patients had age related macular degeneration (ARMD), in 40 patients fluorescein angiography was performed in patients for different retinal diseases. Capillary network was visible at the early phase of fluorescein angiography. In the group of patients with ARMD, 22 patients (50%) presented with enlarged capillary network at a variable degree, in 18 (40%) no capillary changes were observed, 4 patients (10%) were excluded. In the control group, 22 patients presented with an enlarged capillary network (55%), in 13 (33%) no capillary changes were observed, 5 patients (12%) were excluded. No statistical significant difference between the two groups was observed.
Conclusions:
The peripheral capillary network is visible in the early phase of fluorescein angiography. Capillary network density is known to decrease towards the peripheral retina in healthy volunteers. Concerning peripheral capillary changes, there is no difference between ARMD and other retinal diseases. The signification of this peripheral capillary dropout in ARMD remains to be evaluated.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • choroid: neovascularization • ischemia