Original scientific paper
The Role of the Spectral Domain Ocular Coherence Tomography in Detection of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Bernard Mrak
Tea Čaljkušić-Mance
Bernarda Mrak
Branimir Cerovski
Zlatko Trobonjača
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is one of the most common causes of the vision loss and blindness in developed
countries. Among other harmful effects, exposure to the UV radiation is the most prominent factor for the development
of the disorder. Using the method of SD OCT (Spectral Domain Ocular Coherence Tomography) we performed
measurement of the neurosensory retinal thickness of 19 eyes of low vision patients from the population of Primorsko-
-Goranska County of Republic of Croatia, with dry form of the terminal macular degeneration. These results we compared
with control measurements performed on 28 eyes of healthy, normal vision subjects from same County. We determined
following parameters: central foveal thickness (CFT), macular volume (MV) and mean foveal thickness (MFT) in
the both groups. Results showed statistically significant reduction of CFT in the group of normal vision female patients
when compared to males, while any significant difference of CFT between total groups of normal vision individuals and
low vision patients was not detected. Furthermore, we noticed statistically significant (p<0.000001) decrease of the MV
in the group of the low vision patients in comparison to healthy subjects and statistically significant (p<0.000001) reduction
of the MFT of the low vision patients when compared to normal vision individuals. In our study we detected the absence
of any significant difference of the CFT between healthy and low vision population, what looks like controversial
finding, because neurosensory retina in the ARMD is thin and atrophic, but on the other side it is known that fixation
point in low vision patients is translocated from the damaged fovea to extrafoveal region, usually above the fovea, where
neurosensory retina is of the normal thickness, but with the less sensitivity. Furthermore, our results suggest possible
connection of higher incidence of ARMD with lower CFT in females. Owing to the thicker neurosensory retina in males
and better protection, damaging effect of the UV irradiation, which is the proven factor of ARMD development, is smaller.
From the evolutionary point of view it is possible that males in all vertebrates have more resistant macula because during
the evolutionary process they have spent much more time outside in the sunlight than females.
Keywords
dry form macular degeneration; SD OCT; non ionizing radiation; gender conditioned prevalence
Hrčak ID:
72256
URI
Publication date:
25.9.2011.
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