title: [Disease perception in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The disease perception of the patients treated with intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor due to wet age-related macular degeneration was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  177 questionnaires focusing on the development of the perceived visual acuity and the quality of life were evaluated. The subgroup 1 included 125 patients (70.6%) with a unilateral wet age-related macular degeneration. The subgroup 2 included 52 patients (29.4%) with a bilateral wet age-related macular degeneration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients would almost always recommend the therapy to a friend (97.2%). The critical remarks are related to the uncertain course of the disease (22.8%) and the uncertain duration of the treatment (19%). There was a discrepancy between the measured visual outcome and the perceived one in 5.6% in the subgroup 1, and in 38.5% in the subgroup 2. This difference was statistically significant (chi-square test with p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration with intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor is judged positively. Binocular affected patients have a higher disease perception and therefore a poorer self-assessment of their visual acuity and their quality of life compared with monocular affected patients.
authors.affiliation: Augenklinik, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Schweiz (Chairman: Prof. Dr. med. Christophe Valmaggia, MBA HSG).
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kostadinov
authors.affiliation: Augenklinik, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Schweiz (Chairman: Prof. Dr. med. Christophe Valmaggia, MBA HSG).
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valmaggia
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A