title: [Therapeutic modalities of age-related macular degeneration].
abstract: Age-related macular degeneration has become a leading cause of legal blindness in the industrial countries. Some hundred thousands of people are estimated to be suffering from the disease in Hungary as well. Earlier the different forms were considered as distinct diseases. Since the whole scale and pathomechanism of age-related macular degeneration has been clarified, and at the same time the therapeutic modalities have been developed in a lot of cases, there is good chance of maintaining or even improving visual acuity. The author describes the different forms of the disease, and then writes about the treatment modalities which proved to be effective, or which have been introduced recently in detail. He emphasises the harmful role of smoking among prevention methods. Conservative treatment beside antioxidants includes the so-called metabolic therapy nowadays. Different types of laser treatment are widely used, while irradiation to a smaller extent. The role of traditional surgical intervention is also limited, but the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors is very promising. Costs of different methods are also referred to.
authors.affiliation: Kanizsai Dorottya Kórház-Rendelôintézet, Szemészeti Osztály, Nagykanizsa. lvezendi@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vezendi
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A