[Prophylactic laser treatment to macular soft drusen in age-related maculopathy of updated results].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the follow-up results of the prophylactic laser treatment to macular soft drusen in age-related macular degeneration.


METHODS
Prospective, 10 persons with bilateral soft drusen and with good visual acuity were observed for 8 years. 10 eyes were treated. The fellow eyes were as control group. Fluorescein angiography and Amsler test were studied after 8 years. Scanning laser ophthalmoscope was performed after 2 years. Some of them were performed multifocal ERG to test the macular function after 3 years.


RESULTS
There is no choroidal neovascularization in both the laser group and the control group. There is no differences in the best corrected visual acuity after 8 years. All eyes had good fovea fixation. Light sensitivity of both eyes had no significant difference to be found by scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The latencies and amplitude densities of the N1 and P1 waves in the central first ring remained unchanged at 3 years post-treatment (before treatment t = -0.779, 0.722, -0.491, 0.286; after treatment t = 1.342, 0.043, 0.937, 0.350; P > 0.05) compared with the fellow eyes.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no impairment to be found in the macula after preventive laser treatment. The treatment did not demonstrate a clinically significant benefit for choroidal neovascularization in eyes of people with bilateral large drusen.
Huang
Ying-xiang
YX
Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China. bshuang@163.com
Xiang
Li-nan
LN
Wang
Yan-ling
YL
Gao
Li-xin
LX
Hu
Yong-xia
YX
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015593:Retinal Drusen / Q000601:surgery