[Macula study in Stargardt's disease].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate de macular structural damage in Stargardt's disease by optical coherence tomography, correlating with visual acuity and disease duration.


METHODS
Patients with Stargardt's disease were included and submitted to visual acuity (logMAR) measurement and complementary examinations performed were color fundus photographs, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography. All cases were reexamined for diagnostic confirmation and the duration of symptoms was determined. The control group was composed of the same number of subjects, matched by sex and age, without any ophthalmologic alteration.


RESULTS
The sample was composed of 22 patients (44 eyes) with Stargardt's disease, 11 (50%) males and 11 (50%) females. The duration of the disease varied from 3 to 21 years (mean of 11.4 +/- 5.3 years). The groups did not show significant differences in age (p= 0.98) and sex. Concerning the macular thickness in optical coherence tomography, the variation in the study group differed significantly from the control group, presenting smaller values of thickness (p<0.001). There was negative and significant correlation between the duration of disease and the macular thickness assessed by optical coherence tomography (r=-0.57 and p=0.005). There was positive correlation between the duration of the disease and the visual acuity (r=0.50 and p=0.0167) and negative correlation between the visual acuity and the macular thickness in optical coherence tomography (r=-0.83 and p=0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
It was evidenced that patients with Stargardt's disease have a thinner macular thickness when compared to normal subjects, and this reduction is related to the duration of symptoms of the disease. Additionally, the thickness and also the duration of the disease influence the visual prognosis of the patients.
Maia
Otacílio de Oliveira
OO
Departamento de Oftalmologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. omaiausp@uol.com.br
Takahashi
Walter Yukihiko
WY
Arantes
Tiago Eugênio Faria e
TE
Barreto
Raquel Barbosa Paes
RB
Andrade Neto
João Lins de
JL
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult