Recent advances in the treatment of senile disciform macular degeneration by photocoagulation.

Abstract

In senile disciform macular degeneration the retina and pigment epithelium are elevated by serous fluid, which arises from subpigment epithelial fibrovascular tissue originating from the choroid. Disciform macular degeneration was described in the igth century (Oeller, I893) and yet by 1939, when the "Text-Book of Ophthalmology" was being written, Duke-Elder (I940) could find only I30 cases in the literature, and it appeared at that time to be an uncommon disease. During the last decade several factors have stimulated increasing interest in the disease. With increased longevity, disciform macular disease is becoming more prevalent and senile macular degeneration is now recognized as the most common cause of blindness in England and Wales (Sorsby, I966). Since the advent of fluorescein fundus angiography, the morphology of the lesion may be studied during life (Gass, I 967) and in addition photocoagulation has provided a means of treating the disease.