[Focal proliferations of retinal pigment epithelium. Risk factor in senile macular degeneration]. / Fokale Proliferationen des retinalen Pigmentepithels. Risikofaktor bei der altersabhängigen Makuladegeneration.

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies have demonstrated the relevance of focal RPE proliferations in early AMD as risk factors for visual loss caused by late AMD. Angiographically these focal RPE proliferations are characterized as small hypofluorescent spots with hyperfluorescent rim without leakage. Corresponding to histological and experimental studies they can be interpreted as small areas of occult choroidal neovascularizations covered by proliferated RPE cells. The characterization of the long-term prognosis of these lesions was the aim of the present study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight patients (52 female, 46 male) were reexamined clinically and angiographically with a follow-up of 2-12 years (mean 6.5 years). RESULTS: Visual loss of two lines or more could be observed in 64.5% of patients with final visual acuity less than 20/100 in 24.5% of patients. Morphologically the changes in visual acuity were related to the progression towards classical choroidal neovascularizations in 32.7% of patients. In addition 11.2% of patients demonstrated a regression of the small occult membrane with the development of small areas of RPE atrophy covering the size of the original occult neovascularization. In 10.2% of the patients enlargement of the lesion was observed, resulting in a large occult choroidal neovascularization without signs of classical membranes, and in 45.9% of patients the clinical and angiographical situation was unchanged. The most important prognostic factor correlating with visual loss was the presence of a disciform lesion in the fellow eye and of multiple drusen in the examined eye. Other factors like the size or location of the focal RPE proliferation and the duration of follow-up did not correspond with visual loss. CONCLUSIONS: Focal RPE proliferations in early AMD interpreted as small occult choroidal neovascularizations are associated with a high risk of visual loss. Especially if these lesions are associated with multiple drusen and a disciform lesion in the fellow eye, nearly all patients are at risk for visual loss. These changes may therefore characterize a special high-risk group for future prophylactic treatments in early AMD, but because of the high risk for the development of classical choroidal neovascularizations in this group, these results are also very important for the planning of prophylactic laser trials for drusen in early AMD.

[Fluorescence angiography in age-related macular degeneration. Study of the incidence of lesions treatable with coagulation]. / Fluoreszenzangiographie bei der altersabhängigen Makuladegeneration. Studie zur Häufigkeit koagulativ behandelbarer Läsionen.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of late age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) according to the results of prospective clinical studies is indicated in classical choroidal neovascularisations (NV), which can be delineated from the center of the fovea. To evaluate the effectiveness of this therapy, the knowledge of the frequency of treatable lesions in the spectrum of late AMD is important. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The frequency of different manifestations of late AMD and of lesions treatable with photocoagulation according to the results of prospective clinical studies was recorded in a consecutive series of 2503 fluorescein angiogramms in patients with symptomatic late AMD. RESULTS: Classical choroidal NV could be detected in 35.4% of the patients. In 5.5% of the patients these NV were extra- or juxtafoveolar and therefore laser treatment could be recommended. 10.2% of the patients demonstrated small (< 1 PD) subfoveal classical NV and 20.4% of the patients showed large (> 1 PD) subfoveal NV or membranes associated with large subfoveal, subretinal hemorrhages. Occult choroidal NV could be seen in 41.8% of the patients. These occult NV were larger 1 PD in 21.9% of the patients and small (< 1 PD) in 19.9% of the patients. Pigment epithial detachments (PED) could be seen in 14.6% of the patients (9.9 vascular PED, 3.7% avascular PED, 1.0% rip of the retinal pigment epithelium). Disciform scars were present in 7.2% of the angiogramms. CONCLUSIONS: The spectrum of late AMD can be differentiated in several clinical features. In this consecutive series of 2503 symptomatic AMD patients only appr. 6%% of the patients could be treated with laser treatment according to the results of prospective clinical studies. Because in addition the success of this treatment is very limited, the development of new therapeutic options is one of the major tasks in ophthalmology.

[Late vision loss after focal hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy]. / Später Visusverlust nach fokaler hämorrhagischer Chorioretinopathie.

Prospective clinical studies about photocoagulation of extrafoveolar choroidal neovascularizations in focal hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy (CR) have demonstrated that the risk of visual loss years after successful treatment is related to the development of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy around the laser scar. The reason for this event was thought to be late damage of RPE cells due to the laser treatment. However, because RPE atrophy can also be seen in untreated patients, a prospective study was started to test this pathogenetic hypothesis and to analyze the pathogenetic factors and prognostic importance of RPE atrophy in focal hemorrhagic CR. Eighty-eight patients (52 women, 36 men, 15-45 years old; mean follow-up 62 months; 26 patients treated by photocoagulation) with focal hemorrhagic CR were reexamined. Fifty-two patients (15 treated by photocoagulation and 37 untreated) showed clinically visible RPE atrophy. In these 52 patients the initial and final visual acuity, the amount of initial subretinal fluid (34.6% < 500 microns, 50% 500-750 microns, 15.4% > 750 microns) and the amount RPE atrophy (23.2% < 500 microns, 53.6% 500-750 microns, 23.2% > 750 microns) were analyzed. The development of RPE atrophy was dependent on the time of follow-up (36 patients without RPE atrophy, mean follow-up 29 months; 52 patients with RPE atrophy, mean 84 months, P < 0.001). Of the 52 patients with RPE atrophy, 15 were treated by photocoagulation. The distribution of RPE atrophy was similar to what was found in the 37 untreated patients (P = 0.4). With pronounced RPE atrophy, a decrease in final visual acuity was seen (RPE atrophy < 500 microns, mean visual acuity 0.5; 500-750 microns mean visual acuity 0.3; > 750 microns, mean visual acuity 0.1; P = 0.005). Increased RPE atrophy was also associated with a higher incidence of visual loss (p = 0.009). The amount of RPE atrophy was not dependent on the time of follow-up (P = 0.3), but only correlated with the initial amount of subretinal fluid (atrophy < 500 microns: subretinal fluid < 500 microns 15.4%, 500-750 microns 7.7%, > 750 microns 0%; atrophy 500-750 microns: subretinal fluid < 500 microns 19.2%, 500-750 microns 32.7%, < 750 microns 1.9%; atrophy > 750 microns: subretinal fluid < 500 microns 0%, 500-750 microns 9.6%, > 750 microns 13.5%; P < 0.0001). Because RPE atrophy in focal hemorrhagic CR was seen in patients both with and without photocoagulation therapy, laser treatment cannot be the causative factor. With increased follow-up the risk of the development of RPE atrophy increases in all patients. The resulting amount of RPE atrophy was only dependent on the initial amount of subretinal fluid. If the fovea is included in the exudative detachment, there is a higher risk of long-term visual loss.

[Focal hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy. Clinical differentiation and visual prognosis]. / Fokale hämorrhagische Chorioretinopathie. Klinische Differenzierung und Visusprognose.

Macular choroidal neovascularization in young adults without any known underlying diseases is referred to under the general term of focal hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy. In endemic areas of the USA an infection with Histoplasma capsulatum is thought to be the causative agent, but in Europe the pathogenesis of this condition is unknown. With the aim of finding how European patients with this disease might be detected by clinical examination and to estimate the prognosis for sight in the affected eye and the fellow eye, a follow-up examination (follow up 1-24 years, mean 7 years) of 88 patients (age 15-48 years, mean 33.6 years) was undertaken. Most patients were between 20 and 40 years of age and mildly myopic. The number of chorioatrophic scars associated with the choroidal neovascularization in particular varied widely between patients. Therefore, this characteristic is most useful for clinical differentiation between patients. In contrast, the development of an atrophic conus at the optic disc was predominantly correlated with worsening myopia. One-third of all patients experienced decreased vision during follow-up. In two-thirds of the group, however, the final vision was still 0.1 or better. The initial visual prognosis in the eye affected was predominantly dependent upon the location of the neovascular membrane in relation to the fovea and therefore upon the possibility of photocoagulation treatment. Long-term follow up in these patients revealed visual acuity decreased further only in eyes with increasing atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium surrounding the disciform or laser scar. One-fifth of the patients also developed choroidal neovascularization in the fellow eye.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)