Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2019 Nov;102(6):601-610.
doi: 10.1111/cxo.12894. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Longitudinal changes in outer nuclear layer thickness in soft drusen and reticular pseudodrusen

Clara Ramon  1 , Genis Cardona  2 , Marc Biarnés  1   3 , Lucia L Ferraro  1   3 , Jordi Monés  1   3
Affiliations
Observational Study

Longitudinal changes in outer nuclear layer thickness in soft drusen and reticular pseudodrusen

Clara Ramon et al. Clin Exp Optom. 2019 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Drusen are seen in the early and intermediate stages of age-related macular degeneration. A retrospective, two-year observational study at a tertiary centre was designed to assess outer nuclear layer thickness in different types of drusen.

Methods: Patients over 50 years of age with predominant soft drusen or reticular pseudodrusen were included in the study. Fundus photography, infrared, fundus autofluorescence and spectral domain optical coherence tomography were performed at baseline, years one and two. Outer nuclear layer thickness was measured in the nine Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study subfields, and the rate of thinning was determined using generalised estimating equations models.

Results: Data were analysed from 17 eyes with soft drusen and nine eyes with reticular pseudodrusen. Greater outer nuclear layer thinning was seen overall and in all subfields in reticular pseudodrusen as compared to soft drusen, with statistically significant differences found mostly in superior and nasal subfields of ring 2. The outer nuclear layer was 5-12 μm thinner in eyes with reticular pseudodrusen, and the rate of thinning was greater in eyes with reticular pseudodrusen in the outer superior subfield.

Conclusions: Outer nuclear layer thickness is consistently lower in patients with reticular pseudodrusen compared with soft drusen, irrespective of subfield location. These structural findings may contribute to explain the functional abnormalities observed in patients with reticular pseudodrusen.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration; outer nuclear layer; reticular pseudodrusen; soft drusen; spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Pascolini D, Mariotti SP. Global estimates of visual impairment: 2010. Br J Ophthalmol 2012; 96: 614-618.
    1. Friedman DS, O'Colmain BJ, Muñoz B et al. Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in the United States. Arch Ophthalmol 2004; 122: 564-572.
    1. Steinberg JS, Auge J, Jaffe GJ et al. Longitudinal analysis of reticular drusen associated with geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2013; 54: 4054-4060.
    1. Laíns I, Miller JB, Park DH et al. Structural changes associated with delayed dark adaptation in age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology 2017; 124: 1340-1352.
    1. Wu Z, Ayton LN, Guymer RH et al. Low-luminance visual acuity and Microperimetry in age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology 2014; 121: 1612-1619.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources