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Treatment for Macular Degeneration Shows Promise

Wed, 02/07/2001 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) reports on a promising treatment for macular degeneration. They report that clinical trials showed that photodynamic therapy with verteporfin could reduce the risk of moderate and severe vision loss from 61% to 33% at one year and from 69% to 41% at two years in patients with neovascularisation extending under the centre of the retina and predominantly classic appearances on fluorescein angiography -- an appearance that has a high likelihood of growth and vision loss within months if left untreated.

They state that approximately 20% to 30% of the 200,000 cases of neovascular macular degeneration that present to ophthalmologists in the United States each year are candidates for prompt photodynamic therapy. Once extensive vision loss has occurred the treatment is no longer beneficial. It is important therefore to teach older patients with drusen who are at risk of developing neovascular macular degeneration to screen for the possible development of neovascularisation.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) reports on a promising treatment for macular degeneration. They report that clinical trials showed that photodynamic therapy with verteporfin could reduce the risk of moderate and severe vision loss from 61% to 33% at one year and from 69% to 41% at two years in patients with neovascularisation extending under the centre of the retina and predominantly classic appearances on fluorescein angiography -- an appearance that has a high likelihood of growth and vision loss within months if left untreated.

They state that approximately 20% to 30% of the 200,000 cases of neovascular macular degeneration that present to ophthalmologists in the United States each year are candidates for prompt photodynamic therapy. Once extensive vision loss has occurred the treatment is no longer beneficial. It is important therefore to teach older patients with drusen who are at risk of developing neovascular macular degeneration to screen for the possible development of neovascularisation.