Correlation of Functional Mapping and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Patients With Advanced Dry Age–Related Macular Degeneration (AREDS Category IV)

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To correlate functional macular mapping using Nidek MP1 microperimetry with Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT3 in patients with Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) category IV Methods: Nidek functional macular mapping (5° field, 61 points) and 6 radial scans (6mm) using Stratus OCT were used to compare functional and anatomic characteristics in 23 patients with advanced dry age–related macular degeneration (AREDS IV). Functional mapping and OCT of 3 normal subjects age 29–43 served as controls. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) band changes in OCT were graded in categories 0–4 and compared – after exact topographic alignment of both techniques – to retinal sensitivity in decibel (db). Results: Functional mapping in AMD patients with AREDS category IV disease showed an overall decrease in retinal sensitivity to 7.4 db over the total fovea centred 5° macular evaluation field. This result compares to an average of 18.3 (±1.0) db in normal subjects. Areas with no to minimal RPE band changes in OCT (category 0–1) in patients with AREDS category IV disease showed a higher level of mean retinal sensitivity of 12.1 (±4.5) db. However, areas with increased RPE band thickening and loss of the continuous band appearance in OCT (category 3) correlated to a lower mean retinal sensitivity of 8.7 (±3.4) db. Conclusions: Functional macular mapping using Nidek MP1 provides additional information on visual function in patients with advanced dry AMD (AREDS IV) indicating an overall loss of macular sensitivity and focal differences correlating to RPE band appearance in OCT. Functional macular mapping may become in addition a very useful tool in monitoring patients with high risk for developing neovascular AMD.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • perimetry • imaging/image analysis: clinical