Visual prognosis of disciform degeneration in myopia

Abstract

A retrospective study was done on a consecutive series of patients presenting to the Moorfields Eye Hospital with visual reduction secondary to angiographically proven subretinal neovascularization associated with myopia (Förster-Fuchs' spot), with a short history of visual loss, and free of other ocular disease. The visual acuity at follow-up was compared to that at presentation, and related to size and location of the neovascular complex, as well as patient age, and duration of follow-up. The results show a generally poor prognosis in that 43% of the patients lost two or more lines of vision, while 60% were less than or equal to 6/60 at last follow-up. As expected there was a direct relationship between visual acuity and the distance of the neovascular tissue from the fovea, and an inverse relationship between acuity and the size of the lesion. There seems to be a short neovascular growth phase, with early visual loss.