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AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION
Age-related macular degeneration is a common, chronic, progressive, degenerative disease that causes central loss of vision due to abnormalities that occurs in the pigment, neural and vascular layers of the macula.
The macular disorder may have one or more of the following:
- Formation of drusen which are localized deposits of extracellular material usually concentrated in the macula
- Abnormalities in the retinal pigment epithelium (eg hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation)
- Retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillaris geographic atrophy
- Neovascular (exudative) maculopathy
Decreased central vision and distortion of seeing straight lines are the most common symptoms.

Follow Up

  • Monocular near vision (using Amsler grid) monitoring should be done in each follow-up exam

Schedule of Follow-up

  • Non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD)/Intermediate or Advanced AMD in antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements
    • At 6-24 months after treatment if asymptomatic
    • Advise immediate consultation if new symptoms suggestive of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) occurs
  • Subfoveal neovascular AMD in Ranibizumab therapy
    • Approximately 4 weeks after treatment
    • Subsequent return will be based on the clinical findings
  • Subfoveal neovascular AMD in Pegaptanib sodium therapy
    • Every 6 weeks with retreatments as indicated
  • Subfoveal neovascular AMD after photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Verteporfin
    • Every 3 months until stable, with retreatments as indicated
  • Extrafoveal neovascular AMD after laser photocoagulation therapy
    • At 2-4 weeks after treatment with fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and then 4-6 weeks thereafter
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