Relation between macular morphology and visual function in patients with choroidal neovascularisation of age related macular degeneration

Aim-To examine the relation between three measures of visual function (dist ance acuity, near acuity, and contrast sensitivity) and specific fluorescei n angiographic characteristics of the macular lesion in patients with subfo veal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) due to age related macular degenera tion (AMD). Methods-Visual evaluation and digital fundus fluorescein angiography were p erformed in 93 patients with subfoveal CNV. Standard morphometric technique s were used on two frames from the angiographic series closest to 30 second s and 60 seconds respectively, to ascertain total lesion size (defined as t he entire area of abnormal fluorescence), the size of the classic component , and the distance from the fovea to the closest point of healthy retina. C orrelations were sought using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Stepwise regression was used to minimise multiple colinearity. Results-When the study eye was the better eye of a patient's pair of eyes, the strongest correlation was between the size of the classic component and contrast sensitivity (r= 0.48, p <0.001) and was highly significant. When the study eye was the worse eye, significant correlations were observed bet ween total lesion size and all three measures of visual function. The stron gest correlation was observed between overall lesion size and contrast sens itivity (r = 0.52, p <0.001). Conclusions-This study has shown that the status of the study eye (that is, better or worse eye of a pair of eyes) influences the impact of macular pa thology in AMD on visual function. The distance of the fovea from healthy r etina was found to be an important factor in predicting visual function.