title: Primary success with low vision aids in age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: The benefit obtained from various low vision aids (LVAs) was studied in 65 consecutive patients with atrophic (70.3%) or disciform (29.7%) age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). 13.8% were able to read newsprint with age-related reading correction under proper lighting conditions. The primary success achieved with LVAs was good, 91.4% of patients being able to read newsprint. In most cases a simple magnifier (52.3%), high-powered reading glasses (10.8%) or Fonda's glasses (12.8%) were sufficient. The magnification preferred was 5x or less in 25.6% and greater than 5x to 9x in 48.8%. Patients with disciform degeneration required higher magnification than those with atrophic degeneration. It is concluded that most patients with ARMD found low vision aids useful for reading purposes and that a simple optical device was sufficient to achieve reading vision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laatikainen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011932:Reading; D012682:Sensory Aids; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015348:Vision, Binocular; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000628:therapy*; D014792:Visual Acuity