Common retinal diseases | Flashcards
What age do most people get age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?
> 50
What are the 2 forms of AMD?
- Dry (atrophic)
2. Wet (neovascular) - choroidal neovascularisation (CNV)
What is the pathophysiology of the dry form of AMD (4)?
- Breakdown of light-sensitive cells in the macula causes one or more sharply demarcated areas of partial or complete depigmentation (atrophy) of the RPE.
- The areas of atrophy can enlarge over time.
- Atrophy may or may not involve the fovea (the central part of the macula)
- There is accumulation of membranous or lipophilic debris between the RPE and the underlying Bruch’s membrane, with amorphous thickening of Bruch’s membrane - these deposits appear as Drusen
What is the pathophysiology of the wet form of AMD (3)?
- The development of new blood vessels beneath and within the retina, they proliferate and penetrate Bruch’s membrane
- The new vessels are unlike normal retinal vessels and easily bleed or leak blood constituents, resulting in distortion and scarring of the retina which leads to distorted vision/LOV
- In neovascular AMD, the development of soft, diffuse drusen is associated with breaks in Bruch’s membrane. These breaks may provide sites through which new blood vessels from the underlying choriocapillaris grow and proliferate.
What is the ratio of dry:wet forms of AMD?
90:10
What is the clinical picture of dry AMD?
As there is slow and gradual loss of the macula, there is the gradual loss of central vision related to difficulty in reading and recognising faces (unless it converts to the wet type)
What is the treatment of dry AMD?
No treatment at present - just visual rehabilitation
What is the visual loss in wet AMD (2)?
- Distortion in vision
2. Sudden loss of central vision
What is the risk factor for AMD (wet and dry) (3)?
- Smoking
- Cardiovascular disease: hypertension, hyperlipidaemia
- Low antioxident levels in blood
What disabilities are associated with AMD (8)?
- Increased risk of falling
- Difficulty shopping
- Difficulty managing money
- Difficulty preparing meals
- Difficulty using telephone
- Difficulty with housework
- Suffer from emotional distress and depression
- High users of healthcare and community support services
Where is the RPE located?
Between the choroidal layer from the retinal neurons or photoreceptors
What is Bruch’s membrane?
Innermost layer of the choroid
What is an Amsler’s grid? What does someone with AMD see?
A squared grid with a dot
Someone with AMD experiences distortion in their vision, making the grid distorted
What 4 visual components do you need to evaluate in someone with AMD?
- VA - distance and near
- Reading speed
- Contrast sensitivity
- Central visual field - Amsler
What 5 investigations would you do in someone with AMD?
- Fundus photos
- Fundus fluorescein angiography
- Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA)
- Optical coherent tomography (OCT)
- US
In wet AMD with choroidal neovascularisation, how is it characterised (2)?
- Location in relation to foveal centre
2. Fluorescein Angiograph characteristics/leakage type
In the characterisation of CNV, how is it characterised according to location (2)?
- Extrafoveal (>200u from foveal centre)
- Juxtafoveal (1-199u from the foveal centre)
- Subfoveal (under foveal centre)
In the characterisation of CNV, how is it characterised according to FFA/leakage type (2)?
What can be used to distinguish them?
- Classic
- Occult
Fluorescein angioraphic features help distinguish classic and occult choroidal neovascularization.
What is the natural history of wet AMD (2)?
- Variable, dependent on type
2. Occult CNV: 50% develop classic CNV within 1 year, otherwise visual loss is slow
How can you differentiate between classic and occult CNV on fluorescein angiography (2)?
- Classic’ lesions penetrate the RPE and thus are located in front of the RPE, and ‘occult’ lesions are sub-RPE.
- Classic membranes are associated with an early hyperfluorescent area that is well-demarcated, which increases in intensity and extent beyond the early phase boundary by mid- to late-frames. Pooling of fluorescein associated with a concomittant subsensory retinal detachment may also be appreciated.
What are the 5 types of treatment available for wet AMD?
- Focal laser photocoagulation
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with visudyne
- Pharmacologic agents
- Surgery
- Combination treatments
What are the aims of treatment for AMD?
To reduce spread of neovascularisation
When is laser photocoagulation used?
No longer the preferred mode of treatment, but useful in small extrafoveal lesions (less than 5% cases)
How does laser photocoagulation work?
It is a non-selective thermal laser
- destroys choroidal neovascular lesions
- can also damage the overlying retina
What is the eligibility for laser photocoagulation (3)?
- Extrafoveal or juxtafoveal lesions
- Classic CNV
- Well-demarcated lesion boundaries
What are limitations of laser photocoagulation (3)?
- Only 13-25% of patients with wet AMD are eligible
- Laser can cause immediate irreversible retinal damage associated with an absolute scotoma and loss of VA
- Leakage persists or recurs in 50% of treated patients
What is photodynamic therapy (PDT) with visudyne (2)?
2-step process
- Visudyne is injected over 10 min
- Non-thermal light via slit lamp activates Visudyne. Localised endothelial cell damage occurs in the CNV resulting in thrombus formation leading to occlusion of abnormal vessels
Needs to be repeated at 3-monthly intervals