December 2002
Volume 43, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   December 2002
The Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) with Etracorporeal Treatment Procedures. A Follow-up of Four Years
RA Widder; E Farvili; RG J Reis; C Luke; P Walter; B Kirchhof; H Borberg; R Brunner
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • RA Widder
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
  • E Farvili
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
  • RG J Reis
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
  • C Luke
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
  • P Walter
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
  • B Kirchhof
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
  • H Borberg
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
  • R Brunner
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Cologne Cologne Germany
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   R.A. Widder, None; E. Farvili, None; R.G.J. Reis, None; C. Luke, None; P. Walter, None; B. Kirchhof, None; H. Borberg, None; R. Brunner, Diamed Medizintechnik Köln, Germany F.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science December 2002, Vol.43, 2906. doi:
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      RA Widder, E Farvili, RG J Reis, C Luke, P Walter, B Kirchhof, H Borberg, R Brunner; The Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) with Etracorporeal Treatment Procedures. A Follow-up of Four Years . Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2002;43(13):2906.

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Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: Extracorporeal treatment procedures are able to eliminate proteins and lipids from the blood and therefore able to optimize rheological parameters. The beneficial effect in ARMD was demonstrated over a treatment period of six month in a randomized trial (Brunner et al., Retina 1999), but there is a lack of information regarding the long-term effect of this treatment. This study reports the results of a four year treatment period in patients with the dry form of ARMD. Methods: 20 eyes of 20 patients with ARMD were treated with membrane differential filtration, selective adsorption (AR 2000, TR-350, Asahi Medical Tokyo) and plasma exchange. All patients were treated over a period of 3 years (mean: 6 treatments/year) and 12 of them over a period of 4 years. All patients suffered from the dry form of ARMD characterized by pigment clumping, soft and hard drusen and retinal degeneration. Clinical endpoint of the study was best corrected visual acuity (ETDRS-charts). Biochemical and rheological parameters were also measured. Results: A total of 15/20 patients showed an improvement of visual acuity after two and three years while 7/12 patients showed an improvement of visual acuity after four years. After two years the mean improvement of visual acuity was 1.9 lines (20 eyes, p<0.05), 1.2 lines (20 eyes, p<0.05) after three years and 0.8 lines (12 eyes, p=0.77) after four years. A significant change of plasma- and whole blood viscosity as well as erythrocyte aggregation was shown. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the positive influence of repetetive extracorporeal treatment procedures on the natural course of the dry form of ARMD. We were able to show an improvement of visual acuity over a period of three years and the intermediate results confirm the results of earlier studies. After four years a significant improvement of visual acuity was not shown neighter a significant deterioration which also could be interpreted as a success treating a disease with a devastating natural course.

Keywords: 308 age-related macular degeneration • 331 blood supply • 357 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials 
© 2002, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc., all rights reserved. Permission to republish any abstract or part of an abstract in any form must be obtained in writing from the ARVO Office prior to publication.
Copyright © 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
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