The second eye of Japanese patients with unilateral exudative age related macular degeneration

Aim-To clarify the incidence of choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) and pred isposing findings for development of CNV in the second eye of Japanese pati ents with unilateral exudative age related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods-The second eyes of unilaterally affected patients with exudative (n eovascular) AMD treated in our clinic during the past 10 years (1988-97) we re carefully followed up for more than a year. Evidence of CNV was confirme d by fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography. Macular lesions in pati ents, in whom CNV developed in the second eye, were retrospectively evaluat ed from patient records. Results-170 patients met the criteria. The average follow up period was 47 months (range 12-108 months). All patients were Japanese. CNV developed in the second eye in 12 (7%) of 170 patients, 30.3 months on average after the first examination. Cumulative incidence of developing CNV in the second ey e using Kaplan-Meier life table analysis was: 0.6% by 1 year, 5.6% by 3 yea rs, and 12.3% by 5 years, and was relatively low compared with that in whit e patients. CNV developed most frequently from serous pigment epithelial de tachment (PED) in the macula (58%). Soft drusen were not prevalent and risk of developing CNV was not very high (18%). Conclusion-It was confirmed that there were some differences in the inciden ce and predisposing findings for CNV developing in AMD among Japanese and o ther Asian patients compared with those in white people. It is important to recognise these differences between the two populations to understand the pathogenesis and epidemiology of AMD.