PERIPAPILLARY RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM CHANGES IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.
OBJECTIVE
To describe peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes observed in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and evaluate their prevalence.


METHODS
This study is a prospective, monocentric, comparative case series including 104 consecutive patients with AMD, and 34 patients who are more than 60 years old and consulting for other conditions (control group). Color and fundus autofluorescence images centered on the optic disk were taken and graded by 2 independent readers from 0 to 4: 0, absent; 1, uneven background; 2, focal hyperautofluorescent dots and spots; 3, light reticular pattern; 4, dense reticular pattern. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate the presence of peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes with age, sex, and AMD subtype.


RESULTS
Peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes were observed in 76/104 AMD eyes (73.0%) and were significantly more frequent than in eyes with other conditions (14/34, 41.1%, P = 0.002), whereas groups did not differ for age (P = 0.14). Grade ≥2 peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes were more frequently observed in patients with AMD than in controls (41.3 vs. 17.6%, P = 0.013). No differences were found between patients with AMD having peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes and other patients for age distribution (P = 0.14), sex ratio (P = 0.34), or AMD type (P = 0.57).


CONCLUSIONS
Peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes were more frequent in patients with AMD than in controls, and when present, they were of higher grade. Peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes significance is not yet understood and needs further evaluation.
*Ophthalmic Center for Imaging and Laser, Paris, France; †Department of Ophthalmology, Intercity Hospital and University Paris Est, Creteil, France; ‡Center for Clinical and Biological Research, Intercity Hospital, Créteil, France; and §Department of Ophthalmology, Lariboisière Hospital, AP-HP and University Paris 7-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
Salomon Y
SY
Cohen
Lise
L
Dubois
Typhaine
T
Grenet
Sylvia
S
Nghiem-Buffet
Camille
C
Jung
Franck
F
Fajnkuchen
Corinne
C
Delahaye-Mazza
Gabriel
G
Quentel
Ramin
R
Tadayoni
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D057092:Geographic Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk; D061848:Optical Imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis*
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors