Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration or more commonly known as "yellow spot disease" is one of the most common causes of low vision, especially in the elderly. It is the second most common eye disease in Turkey, with damage caused by diabetes coming in first place.

Therefore, it has an important place in eye retinal diseases as it affects the quality of vision of the patient and can lead to vision loss. Yellow spot is the name of a certain region of the retina and disorders in this region are called yellow spot disease. The most common age-related yellow spot diseases. Generally, the incidence increases over the age of 55 - 65. There are risk factors; the biggest risk factor is age. The older the age, the higher the incidence.

The "yellow spot" is a specialized area of the retina, the nerve layer of the eye, which provides color and detailed vision. The yellow spot may deteriorate with age or, more rarely, it may deteriorate at an earlier age due to congenital or trauma, excessive exposure to sunlight or other retinal diseases. Other factors that are effective are alcohol and smoking. Blood fat levels; The risk of occurrence may increase in patients with high triglyceride - cholesterol levels. In yellow spot disease, the main complaint of the patient is difficulty in seeing the center of the eye or complete loss of vision. In the early stages of the disease, broken or curved straight lines are common patient complaints. There are two types of age-related yellow spot disease: wet type and dry type. The "dry type" is the more common form and has been shown to be genetically transmitted. The "wet type" is less common but is characterized by a more rapid loss of vision. In the wet type, there is fluid and/or hemorrhage in the retina where the yellow spot is located and this causes a rapid and severe loss of vision. There is a possibility that the dry type of yellow spot disease may turn into the wet type over time. The dry type occurs in about 80% of patients and is the better type because it progresses slowly and dries out the tissue.

Wet type is the name given when new vessels are formed. When it turns into wet type, the patient's complaints of distorted and crooked vision increase significantly. Breaks in straight lines become clearly noticeable. There are complaints of crooked, hollow, curved vision. There may be complaints of small and big vision. A faster progression can be seen when age turns to type. Fortunately, it is seen in as few as 20% of patients.

"Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)" and "fluorescein angiography" are tests commonly used in the diagnosis and follow-up of yellow spot disease, especially in wet type cases. The checkered paper test, which can be easily performed by the patient himself/herself, is a very useful follow-up method. Yellow spot disease is a condition that requires regular follow-up for a long time. In dry type yellow spot disease, nutritional supplements rich in vitamins and minerals (such as lutein, zeaxanthin, omega-3, zinc) are thought to be beneficial. In wet-type patients, it is possible to slow down the progression of the disease, in some cases even to stop it and to improve vision with intraocular injections.

Optical Coherence Tomography How is OCT performed?

It is performed with an OCT device. OCT allows the retina and the underlying vascular layer to be scanned and examined in thin sections. It is performed quickly without the use of radiation or drugs that may be harmful to the body. In which diseases is OCT used and what are its advantages; It is used for reliable diagnosis and follow-up of retinal diseases.

OCT is used in the diagnosis and follow-up of all retinal diseases, especially yellow spot disease, retinal damage due to diabetes and congenital or acquired vascular diseases of the retina. It is also very useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of glaucoma. Side effects of OCT; there are no known side effects.