Preventive treatment using laser of age-related macular degeneration of the contralateral eye after age-related macular degeneration of the first eye]

Since 1982, and with informed patient consent, we have photocoagulated confluent drusen and limited serous pigment epithelium detachment (SPED) in the fellow eye of ten patients suffering from advanced, disciform type, age-related macula degeneration (ARMD). This treatment was only carried out on appearance of metamorphopsia. Photocoagulation was performed with either the green ray of the argon laser, or the yellow ray of a dye laser. Spots of about 200 microns were placed in a grid-like fashion among the drusen. No complications were observed due to the treatment. The follow-up period on these ten patients, eight women and two men, mean age 77 years, was two to eight years, and the three patients have died. The drusen disappeared completely in three patients and partially in one. The functional results seemed favorable in three cases. In one case of confluent drusen associated with SPED and serous retinal detachment, vision improved remarkably from 0.3 to 0.5 with a Parinaud 2, with a follow-up of five years. In another case, the improvement was from 0.4 to 0.7 but the patient died after only a few months. In another case, vision has been stable for five years. The vision of the seven remaining patients deteriorated; three cases showed central areolar sclerosis, and one case a localised new vessel with vision less than 0.1. In three cases vision dropped to 0.2 and Parinaud 6, but they have been stable for at least four years (eight years for one patient).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)