Author/Editor		Lang, Gabriele E
Title		New development in the management of age-related macular degeneration
Translated title		Novosti pri obravnavi starostne degeneracije makule
Type		članek
Source		Zdrav Vestn
Vol. and No.		Letnik 73, št. 5
Publication year		2004
Volume		str. 363-9
Language		eng
Abstract		Background. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most important challenges that ophthalmologists are facing in this century. If unrecognized, AMD can lead to rapid vision loss having a severe impact on the daily life of affected patients by reducing functional abilities. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in elderly people in industrialized countries, a fact many people are not aware of. Conclusions. To date treatment options are only available in the late stages of AMD. In the neovascular form, thermal coagulation of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is still the treatment of choice if the centre of the fovea is not involved. However, this treatment is suitable for only a small number of patients. Recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) was introduced as a new treatment modality consisting of an intravenous infusion of a photosensitizing drug (verteporfin) which is then activated by a low-energy laser resulting in a specific occlusion of the CNV PDT has been shown to reduce the risk of vision loss in subfoveal predominantly classic and occult CNV secondary to AMD. Early detection, exact diagnosis, and prompt treatment of AMD therefore play an important role in managing patients with AMD in the future.
Summary		Izhodišča. Starostna degeneracija makule (SDM) je eden od najpomembnejših izzivov za oftalmologe v tem stoletju. Nerazpoznana SDM lahko vodi v hitro izgubo vida, kar ima resen vpliv na vsakodnevno življenje za prizadetega bolnika, ker mu zmanjša delovne zmožnosti. SDM je vodilni vzrok slepote pri starejših ljudeh v industrijskih državah, česar se dosti ljudi ne zaveda. Zaključki. Dosedanje možnosti zdravljenja so so bile na voljo le v poznih stadijih SDM. Pri neovaskularnih oblikah je termalna koagulacija horoidalne neovaskularizacije (CNV) še vedno terapija izbora, če center fovee ni prizadet. Seveda je tako zdravljenje primerno le za majhno število bolnikov. Pred kratkim je bila uvedena fotodinamična terapija (PDT) kot nov terapevtski način, ki se sestoji iz intravenozne infuzije, fotosenzitivnega zdravila (verteporfin) in ga nato aktiviramo z nizko-energijskim laserjem, kar povzroči posebno zaporo CNV. PDT dokazano zmanjša ogroženost za izgubo vida pri subfoveolarni predominantno klasični in okultni CNV zaradi SDM. Zgodnje odkritje, natančna diagnoza in takojšnje zdravljenje SDM bodo igrali pomembno vlogo pri obravnavi bolnikov s SDM tudi v prihodnosti.
Descriptors		MACULAR DEGENERATION CHOROID NEOVASCULARIZATION, PATHOLOGIC FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHY PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY