Clinical Study
Eye (2007) 21, 353–361. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6702203; published online 6 January 2006
Relationship between foveal birefringence and visual acuity in neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Disclosure: A. Weber, None; A.E. Elsner, P; M. Miura, None, S. Kompa, None; MC Cheney, None.
This paper was partly presented at ARVO in Ft Lauderdale in May 2005.
A Weber1,2, A E Elsner1, M Miura3, S Kompa2 and M C Cheney1
- 1The Schepens Eye Research Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- 2Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
- 3Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
Correspondence: AE Elsner, Indiana University School of Optometry, 800 E. Atwater, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. Tel: +1 812 856 1500; Fax: +1 812 855 7045. E-mail: aeelsner@ indiana.edu
Received 15 June 2005; Revised 18 October 2005; Accepted 18 October 2005; Published online 6 January 2006.
Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the relationship between visual acuity and foveal birefringence in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
Methods
In total, 40 patients with choroidal neovascularization underwent macular imaging with scanning laser polarimetry. Bowtie patterns, typically seen in birefringence images of the macula, were evaluated and classified into three categories: (1) regular bowtie present; (2) bowtie present, but disrupted; and (3) no bowtie present. The relation of the bowtie appearance to the best-corrected logMAR visual acuities was tested (ANOVA).
Results
Mean visual acuity was best for the group that had regular bowties (mean logMAR=0.34) and differed statistically significantly from the disrupted bowtie group and no bowtie group (P=0.01 and 0.0007). Ages for the three groups did not differ (P=0.31).
Conclusions
Appearance of a regular bowtie indicates a substantially intact Henle fibre layer with the potential for good visual function, despite the presence of underlying pathology. Conversely, disruption or absence of a bowtie may indicate severe damage to the photoreceptors, consistent with the finding of poorer visual acuity.
Keywords:
scanning laser polarimetry, age-related macular degeneration, visual acuity
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated
