Age related macular degeneration

Wet (also known as neovascular or exudative) age related macular degeneration is a common condition of poorly understood aetiology that affects around two million elderly people in Europe.1 In the United Kingdom, in about a quarter of a million people wet macular degeneration causes bilateral visual impairment of sufficient severity that they are registered as partially sighted or blind.2 If only one eye is affected the onset of disease may go unnoticed by the patient. Wet macular degeneration is usually bilateral though, and when the second eye becomes affected the impact on the patient is devastating.3

Good vision is often taken for granted. It is an important prerequisite for a socially fulfilling and active lifestyle. Wet macular degeneration affecting both eyes has serious consequences for quality of life. The psychosocial and functional …