Conversion to Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a 2-Year Prospective, Observational Study of Fellow Eyes of Patients With Unilateral Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Purpose: : To investigate markers of development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in fellow eyes of subjects with unilateral wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) enrolled in a 2 year prospective, observational study.

Methods: : Sixty-two subjects over 50 years with unilateral wet AMD in one eye were enrolled in a study to be evaluated with ETDRS visual acuity, complete ophthalmic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography (FA, ICG-A), ocular coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and retinal leakage analysis at baseline and thereafter every 6 months for a period of 2 years or until development of CNV was confirmed by FA. Morphological characteristics before conversion of patients who developed CNV are reviewed.

Results: : Of the 62 patients enrolled, 52 completed the study according to protocol, with 17 (27,4%) converting to wet AMD and 35 patients completing the 2-year follow-up without conversion. All 17 eyes showed changes in OCT at the time of conversion. Before conversion, 4 of the 17 eyes showed changes on ICG and 14 of the 17 eyes showed alterations in the Blood-Retinal Barrier on RLA. No clear pattern on fundus photography and FAF was associated with conversion to wet AMD.

Conclusions: : In this 2-year prospective study 27,4% of enrolled patients developed wet AMD in the study eye. ICG and RLA showed alterations before conversion suggesting that these procedures may predict earlier conversion to wet AMD.

Clinical Trial: : www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00801541

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • choroid: neovascularization • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)