PubMed ID: 1267653
Author(s): Gragoudas ES, Chandra SR, Friedman E, Klein ML, Van Buskirk M. Disciform degeneration of the macula. II. Pathogenesis. Arch Ophthalmol. 1976 May;94(5):755-7. PMID 1267653
Journal: Archives Of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960), Volume 94, Issue 5, May 1976
Of 84 patients with unilateral disciform macular degeneration, 36 were followed up for one to four years (average, 22 months). The fellow eye in 13 cases developed disciform lesions during that follow-up period. A significantly greater number of drusen were found in the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral disciform macular degeneration than in the eyes of a comparable control group of patients (P less than .001). Furthermore, the eyes with unilateral disciform macular degeneration that developed disciform lesions in the other eye were characterized as a group by a significantly larger number of drusen than those that did not. We postulate that drusen are precursors of disciform macular degeneration in fellow eyes and are probably manifestations of the same exudative process.