LV - Low Vision Conditions - Week 9 Flashcards
Can pigment change without drusen be considered AMD? Is there a significant risk of progression to late AMD?
No
-no significant risk of progression
Define the following classifications of AMD
Normal ageing changes
Early AMD
Intermediate AMD
Late AMD
Normal ageing changes - only druplets and no AMD pigmentary changes
Early AMD - medium drusen and no AMD pigmentary abnormalities
Intermediate AMD - large drusen and/or any AMD pigmentary abnormalities
Late AMD - neovascular AMD and/or geographic atrophy
-within 2DD of the fovea in either eye
What kind of advice can be given to all AMD patients (2)?
Stop smoking if they do so
Self-monitor with amsler
What is the treatment for atrophic AMD?
None available
What is the treatment for neovascular AMD (3)? Note the costs and whether or not they are TGA approved for AMD.
Anti-angiogenesis therapies
-lucentis (ranibizzumab) - more expensive
-avastin (not TGA approved for AMD) - less expensive
Eyelea (aflibercept) - same cost as lucentis but better half-life
Describe the effectiveness of lucentis for AMD treatment. Compare it to avastin and eyelea.
After 24 months of monthly lucentis injections, visual acuity stabilises or improves in 90% of patients
-reduces retinal thickness
-promotes resoprtion of fluid
Studies have found similar effectiveness with avastin
Eyelea injected every 2 months was found to be similar to avastin and lucentis as well
What do studies suggest of the effectiveness of vitamin and mineral supplements? For which severities of AMD are of particular note?
AREDS supplements were found to reduce the risk of moderate visual loss among some patients with AMD
List the components of AREDS supplements (5). Compare it to AREDSII.
Beta-carotene
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc oxide
Cupric oxide
AREDSII removed beta-carotene, zince lowered
Role of lutein, zeaxanthin, and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
List some foods rich in lutein and xeaxanthin antioxidants.
Spinach
Silver beet
Corn
Capsicum
Peas
pumpkin
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
List some fish rich in omega-3.
Salmon
Mackerel
Anchovies
Trout
List some foods rich in vitamin E.
Nuts
Whole grains
List some foods rich in zinc.
Oysters
Seafood
Nuts
Legumes
List some foods rich in selenium.
Nuts, especially brazil nuts
What is the incidence of fellow eye involvement during the first two years of AMD? What about five years after that?
28-36%
6-12% for the five years after
Is useful peripheral vision maintained indefinitely with AMD?
Yes, never will go black blind
What level of visual acuity loss can be expected with exudative and non-exudative AMD and what effect does antiVEGF treatment have?
Non-exudative - to about 6/120
Exudative - can be worse than 6/120
AntiVEGF can hold vision at the level it was when treatment started
What kind VF defects do you expect to see in those with AMD (2)?
Central or paracentral scotoma with normal periphery
What would symptom would you expect of AMD patients related to near work?
Difficulty reading
What would symptom would you expect of AMD patients related to distance work (3)?
Loss of detail in distance
Difficulty recognising faces
Television difficulties
What is colour vision like with AMD?
Decreased
Do AMD patients tend to struggle with mobility?
Generally no, mobility is fair even in advanced cases
What visual hallucination is common with AMD and what is generally required for this to occur? Note percentage of cases among AMD patients.
Charles bonnet syndrome
-requires low bilateral visual acuity
-10 to 25% of patients with macular degeneration report it
How do individuals with AMD tend to view things and why?
Eccentrically view because of the central scotoma
-some people automatically develop this technique, others do not, while some dont adopt the best eccentric viewing position