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There are two general types of age-related macular degeneration (AMD):
Dry age-related macular degeneration, the milder form, accounts for 85% to 90% of all cases. The key clinical signs for dry age-related macular degeneration are small, round, white-yellow lesions in the macula, known as drusen. Vision loss associated with this form of the disease may not be severe.
There is no treatment currently available for dry age-related macular degeneration. Some scientists believe that taking certain extra vitamins and minerals may slow the progress of the disease. This possibility is now being tested in the Age-Related Eye Diseases Study (AREDS).
Wet age-related macular degeneration represents only 10% to 15% of cases, but it is responsible for 90% of the severe vision loss associated with AMD. The term wet refers to the development of abnormal blood vessels across the macula, a process known as choroidal neovascularization. These abnormal vessels are fragile and tend to leak fluid and blood into the tissue at the back of the eye, thereby damaging the retina. This in turn leads to scar tissue and a large blind spot, which impairs central vision. Worldwide, approximately 500,000 new cases of wet age-related macular degeneration occur each year.
Wet age-related macular degeneration may be classified as one of two types:
- Classical wet age-related macular degeneration is well-defined, easier to diagnose, and progresses more quickly, thus it's a more aggressive form of the disease.
- Occult wet age-related macular degeneration is not clearly demarcated, is difficult to define, and is less predictable in terms of how it progresses.
Most wet AMD cases have both types of lesions. "Predominantly classic" means that you have wet AMD and at least 50% of your lesion is the classic type.
Although age-related macular degeneration tends to occur in one eye at a time, approximately 50% of patients who have the wet form in one eye will also develop this condition in their second eye within 5 years. AMD varies a lot from person to person. It is important to get treated as soon as possible because it can progress rapidly in some patients. Studies show that the disease may progress anytime from a few months to over a 3-year period. Untreated, the majority of eyes affected by wet age-related macular degeneration will become functionally blind within approximately 2 years.
The good news is that wet age-related macular degeneration can be treated if it is diagnosed at an early stage. That's why people over age 65 should undergo regular eye examinations to determine whether they have age-related macular degeneration.
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