Treatment according to "evidence-based medicine" of aged-related exudative age-related macular degeneration (laser photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy)]

INTRODUCTION: Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is actually the leading cause of severe visual acuity loss in people over 65 in the Western World. Most of the visual loss is due to choroidal neovascularization (CNV). METHODS: Review of the literature. RESULTS: For more then 10 years laser photocoagulation was the only proven treatment for selected cases of AMD according to the evidence based medicine criteria. In 1999 photodynamic therapy was proven to be efficient for the treatment of predominantly classic subfoveal CNV. CONCLUSION: Laser photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy constitute therefore the only evidence based medicine treatment available for CNV in AMD.