Aqueous flare in eyes with senile disciform macular degeneration: correlation with clinical stage and area of neovascular membrane.

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present study was to investigate the aqueous flare in eyes with senile disciform macular degeneration (SDMD), divided into different clinical stages, and the correlation between the aqueous flare and the area of the neovascular membrane.

METHODS

Eighty-six eyes of 44 patients with SDMD were examined using a laser flare meter. The area of the neovascular membrane was measured by means of a digitizer in images obtained using indocyanine green videoangiography.

RESULTS

The mean value of the aqueous flare was 5.91 +/- 2.51 (photon count/ms) in 7 predisposing stage eyes, 5.68 +/- 1.64 in 15 initial stage eyes, 9.09 +/- 7.65 in 24 advanced form eyes, 5.40 +/- 1.42 in 11 disciform scar eyes, and 5.36 +/- 1.72 in 29 fellow eyes. The aqueous flare value was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in eyes with the advanced form of SDMD than in the fellow eyes. There were no significant differences in aqueous flare values between eyes with predisposing stage, initial stage, and disciform scar and fellow eyes. The aqueous flare value increased significantly with increasing area of neovascular membrane (R = 0.68, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The present results suggest that the aqueous flare increases with increasing neovascular membrane area in eyes with SDMD, and decreases with scarization of the neovascular membrane.