Angiofluorographic aspects in age-related macular degeneration.

Although AMD (age-related macular degeneration) has been described for over 100 years, there is neither a standard agreement on the definition of specific lesions nor a generally accepted classification system. For example, the age limits for AMD varied widely in different clinical studies; the methods used for examination also vary (visual acuity, perimetry, contrast sensitivity, slit lamp examination of the fundus, retinal photography, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography). We described the multitude of angiofluorographic aspects in patients with AMD and conceived a classification to be easily used in clinical practice. Although a detailed ophthalmoscopy can often identify the characteristic lesions of AMD, a complete picture is obtained by fluorescein angiography. The angiographic classification of AMD is structured similarly to the clinical one. It has two main patterns, non-exudative and exudative lesions, but it provides more information about the nature of the lesions. In the last three decades, an impressive amount of information regarding the prevalence, progression and risk factors for AMD has been published. The source of this information is mainly represented by the large population studies that are often multicenter studies. Recognizing the clinical signs of AMD and classifying them into different stages is important for the prognosis and the therapeutical decision, but also for conceiving study protocols.