Prophylactic laser treatment in early age-related maculopathy: an 8-year follow-up in a randomized pilot study shows a reduced incidence of exudative complications

Abstract

Purpose: To study the effect of mild laser treatment on the incidence of exudative complications in patients with soft drusen maculopathy in a longterm perspective.

Methods: In a prospective study, 38 patients with early age-related maculopathy and good visual acuity (VA) were randomized either to laser treatment using an argon green laser or to observation. At 8 years, 29 patients remained in the study, 16 in the control group and 13 in the treatment group.

Results: During follow-up, mean VA decreased significantly in both groups, to 0.53 in the treatment group (p < 0.05) and to 0.25 in the control group (p < 0.001). At 8 years, 9/16 in the control group showed exudative complications, whereas only 2/13 in the treatment group developed such changes (p < 0.03).

Conclusion: In this randomized pilot study, mild laser treatment of soft drusen maculopathy significantly reduced the rate of exudative complications in a longterm perspective. As the study is small, the results should be viewed with caution.