Effects of telescopes in the visual acuity of patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to Age–Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose:To study visual acuity improvement with TS in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to ARMD. Methods:Forty–eight eyes with CNV secondary to ARMD were examined prior to treatment with photodynamic therapy. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was determined using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocol refraction (ETDRS), first without TS and later with two types of TS, Keplerian and Galilean. No restriction as to the type of CNV (predominantly classic, minimally classic, or occult) was made. The results were expressed as the number of lines of BCVA gained with TS, respect to the BCVA without TS. Differences in BCVA were considered significant when there was an increase of 3 or more lines. Results:The BCVA increased three or more lines in 34 eyes (70.83%) with Keplerian TS and in 25 eyes (52.07%) with Galilean TS. This increase in BCVA with TS was significantly higher in patients with BCVA ≥ 0.3 than in patients with BCVA < 0.3. In detail, the results obtained with Keplerian TS were: 14 eyes (29,16%) improved their BCVA less than 3 lines; 27 eyes (56,25%) improved between 3 and 6 lines; 7 eyes (14,58%) improved their BCVA more than 6 lines. The results with Galilean TS were: 23 eyes (47,91%) improved their BCVA less than 3 lines; 23 eyes (47,91%) improved their BCVA between 3 and 6 lines; 2 eyes (4,16%) improved their BCVA more than 6 lines. There were no significant differences between the BCVA obtained with Galilean versus Keplerian TS. Conclusions:TS improve BCVA in patients with subfoveal CNV secondary to ARMD and the improvement is higher in patients with BCVA ≥ 0.3. It is thus important to prevent visual acuity losses to the limit of low vision for the patients to benefit from the use of TS.

Keywords: low vision • age–related macular degeneration • visual acuity