Age Related Macular Degeneration

Question 1

What is ARMD?

Answer 1

A degenerative disorder of the macula and the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly population.

Early signs of AMD include the presence of yellow-white deposits which are termed “drusen”.

Question 2

What is the most common form of AMD?

Answer 2

90% of cases is the “DRY” variant

• No Exudation
• No Neovascularisation.

Question 3

What is Drusen?

Answer 3

Small, yellow deposits of lipids and proteins that accumulate under the Retina.

Question 4

What causes the production of Drusen?

Answer 4

The eye is unable to eliminate some waste products from cells of the rods and cones.

The remaining damaged cells - Lipofuscin from the Oxidative Stress accumulate in Bruch’s membrane and create drusen.

Question 5

Disciform Scar

Answer 5

Disciform scars form the stage of exudative AMD in which the retinal tissue is replaced by vascular scar tissue.

Question 6

What is the treatment for Wet ARMD?

Answer 6

Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy is the use of medications that block Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor.

Question 7

What is Anti-VEGF composed of?

Answer 7

1) Lucentis (ranibizumab)
2) Avastin (bevacizumab)

Both drugs are monoclonal antibodies that bind to all three forms of VEGF.

Lucentis is a smaller molecule and is believed to bind VEGF in the eye with greater affinity.

Question 8

Photodynamic Therapy

Answer 8

Offers the opportunity to selectively eradicate neovascular membranes while producing minimal damage to normal retinal and choroidal tissues.