Drusen and photoreceptor abnormalities in African-Americans with intermediate non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract

PURPOSE/AIM:

To investigate the relationship of drusen and photoreceptor abnormalities in African-American (AA) patients with intermediate non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

AA patients with intermediate AMD (n = 11; age 52-77 years) were studied with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Macular location and characteristics of large drusen (≥125 µm) were determined. Thickness of photoreceptor laminae was quantified overlying drusen and in other macular regions. A patient with advanced AMD (age 87) was included to illustrate the disease spectrum.

RESULTS:

In this AA patient cohort, the spectrum of changes known to occur in AMD, including large drusen, sub-retinal drusenoid deposits and geographic atrophy, were identified. In intermediate AMD eyes (n = 17), there were 183 large drusen, the majority of which were pericentral in location. Overlying the drusen there was significant thinning of the photoreceptor outer nuclear layer (termed ONL(+)) as well as the inner and outer segments (IS + OS). The reductions in IS + OS thickness were directly related to ONL(+) thickness. In a fraction (∼8%) of paradrusen locations with normal lamination sampled within ∼280 µm of peak drusen height, ONL(+) was significantly thickened compared to age and retinal-location-matched normal values. Topographical maps of the macula confirmed ONL thickening in regions neighboring and distant to large drusen.

CONCLUSIONS:

We confirm there is a pericentral distribution of drusen across AA-AMD maculae rather than the central localization in Caucasian AMD. Reductions in the photoreceptor laminae overlying drusen are evident. ONL(+) thickening in some macular areas of AA-AMD eyes may be an early phenotypic marker for photoreceptor stress.

• Authors: Sam Sadigh, Xunda Luo, Artur V Cideciyan, Alexander Sumaroka, Stacy L Boxley, Laura M Hall, Rebecca Sheplock, William J Feuer, Dwight S Stambolian, Samuel G Jacobson
• Journal: Current eye research (Curr Eye Res) Vol. 40 Issue 4 Pg. 398-406 (Apr 2015) ISSN: 1460-2202 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 24912073 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Black or African American (ethnology)
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Female
• Geographic Atrophy (diagnosis, ethnology)
• Humans
• Male
• Microscopy, Confocal
• Middle Aged
• Ophthalmoscopy
• Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate (pathology)
• Retinal Drusen (diagnosis, ethnology)
• Tomography, Optical Coherence