Objectives The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is rising in China in recent years, and there are more and more drug treatment modalities for this disease. However, all over the country many ophthalmologists have only limited knowledge of prevention and intervention of AMD. In most hospitals the management of AMD is personal experience-based without consensus. It is urgent to propose a standardized clinical pathway for AMD in China. Methods The clinical guideline and clinical pathway development committee of AMD is established under the Chinese Ocular Fundus Diseases Society. The committee proposed the Chinese AMD clinical pathway (hereinafter referred to as quot;clinical pathwayquot;), based on existed international guidelines, and updated clinical research evidence, the specific types of AMD and the current socio-economic status in China. Results This clinical pathway was developed on the basis of the clinical stages and clinical types of AMD, including the choice of examination items, treatment Methods , follow-up and low vision aids. The clinical pathway was designed in flow sheets, which is easy to understand and implement for ophthalmologists, thus to standardize AMD clinical management procedures. Conclusions The clinical pathway, which followed the basic principles of evidencebased medicine and combined with the actual demands of patients with AMD in China, provides principle guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AMD. The clinical pathway was designed to meet the requirements of the majority of AMD patients; clinicians should also consider individual situations of patients, available treatment options, the patient's affordability and other factors when making treatment decisions.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a set of age-related macular disease, is induced by a variety of factors. New intervention Methods help us to understand the AMD pathogenesis further; however, we only have limited knowledge of these novel Methods . To improve diagnosis and treatment practices of AMD, it is a priority to propose a standardized clinical procedure of AMD management in China. The Chinese Ocular Fundus Association has just proposed a Chinese AMD clinical pathway based on expertsprime;opinions and evidence based medicine. This clinical guideline is implementable for different stages and subtypes of AMD patients, and hopefully will be updated frequently with more clinical practice. Implementing this AMD pathway in China will improve the quality of clinical practice and research of AMD in China.
Objective To observe the optical coherence tomography (OCT) features of Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD) at different stages.Methods Twenty-eight BVMD patients (56 eyes) were enrolled in this study. All the patients were examined for visual acuity, slit-lamp microscopy, direct ophthalmoscope, fundus photography, electrooculogram, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and OCT. Fifty-six eyes were classified into stage 0 (eight eyes)、Ⅰ (two eyes)、Ⅱ(10 eyes)、Ⅱa （12 eyes）、Ⅲ (six eyes) 、Ⅳa (six eyes)、Ⅳb (five eyes) and Ⅳc (seven eyes) accordingly. The OCT features of BVMD at different stages were observed.Results The OCT results showed that the macular area was normal in eyes of stage 0; disturbance of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and subretinal hyporeflective area were found in eyes of stage I; the location of the yellowish material between RPE and the inner segment and outer segment (IS/OS) with normal appearance in RPE and IS/OS interface were found in eyes of stage Ⅱ. In all the other progressing stages from Ⅱa、Ⅲ and Ⅳ, the vitelliform material appeared as a thicker highly reflective lesion located between the outer nuclear layer and RPE layer, usually accompanied by optical hyporeflective lesion. Images of stage Ⅳc were in similar appearance besides edema of retina. OCT images of Ⅳb stage were demonstrated atrophy of retinal layer and IS/OS loss with fibrosis. Conclusions OCT demonstrated the location of the yellowish material between RPE and IS/OS. Optical hyporeflective lesion between the outer nuclear layer and RPE layer accompanied thicker highly reflected lesion might be the characteristic image in stages II a to IV of BVMD.
The diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an international hotspot of eye research. Successful clinical applications of antiVEGF drugs promoted both basic research and clinical practice of AMD. A number of countries and professional societies have established clinical guidelines for AMD management, including the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, classification, and treatment process. These AMD guidelines are mostly based on recently published results of clinical trials, provided good model of evidence based medicine. It is urgent and necessary to have our own guideline which is suitable for Chinese patients. Reviewing and learning existed guidelines will help us to improve the clinical practice of AMD in China.
Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of Heidelberg retinal angiography(HRA) combined with optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect neovascularization (CNV) in exudative agerelated macular degeneration (AMD) patients. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of a series of clinical cases. AMD diagnosis was established by international standard vision chart, Slit lamp microscope, direct or indirect ophthalmoscope examination. A total of 50 eyes (42 cases) of exudative AMD received HRA and frequency domain OCT scan. All 50 eyes received fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and frequency domain OCT simultaneously, and among them 15 eyes also received indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) at the same time. FFA and ICGA were carried out by conventional methods, CNV was localized by real-time localization technology of frequency domain OCT. In the radial and grid-like section from the areas with b fluorescence, image acquisition settings are 7 mu;m fault for each frame, 30 deg; intervals for radial section, 10 vertical and 10 horizontal scan lines for gridlike section. CNV can be divided into 4 types (typical CNV, partial typical CNV, occult CNV, CNV scarring) according to their boundaries demonstrated in FFA. Based on the features of the OCT images, there were 3 types of integrated image (sub-RPE type, sub-retinal type and mixed type). Results CNV was detected in all 50 eyes. There were 4 eyes (8%) of typical CNV, 11 eyes (22%) of partial typical CNV, 32 eyes (64%, including 27 eyes of RPE detachment and 5 eyes of passive late leakage) of occult CNV and 3 eyes (6%) of CNV scarring. There were 4 eyes (8%) of subRPE type (CNV under the RPE light band) , 16 eyes (32%) of subretinal type(interrupted light band of RPE and choroid capillary layer) and 30 eyes (60%) of mixed type of integrated image. Conclusion The image integration technology of the HRA and frequency domain OCT system provide a valuable tool to classify and measure CNV, which will benefit the clinical treatment of AMD patients.
Objective To investigate the manifestations of indocyanine green an giography (ICGA) of the choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV) and the relationship with histopathological changes in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Twenty-one eyes of 21 patients with AMD diagnosed by ICGA were classified into three types based on ICGA findings: developing type in 9 eyes , degenerating type in 9, and stabilizing type in 3. CNV was extracted by vitrectomy and the histopathological characteristics of CNV was observed under the light and electron microscope. Results The histopathological characteristics of the specimens of developing type revealed abundant CNV partly enwrapped with non-pigmental cells and fibrous tissue or a few pigmental cells; degenerating type revealed reduced activation duration of CNV, many pigmental cells and a little fibrous tissue; stabilizing type revealed a mass of fibrous tissue，few CNV and nonexistence of pigmental cells. Conclusion The histopathological characteristics of exudative AMD may be related to the manifestations of ICGA. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis，2004，20：71-74)