Abstract
Purpose: We evaluace the influence of haemorheopheresis on anatomical and functional findings in patients with soft-drusen maculopathy (dry form of age-related macular degeneration -AMD). Methods: Each patient received a series of eight haemorheophereses (cascade filtration of 1,5 plasma volume) within 10 weeks.
The patiens were followed up usány Rydly Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study Group (ETDRS) charts, optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein angiography (FAG), electroretinography and measurements of pulsed ocular blood flow. Results: After the procedures, there was a substantial reduction in rheologically aktive substances [lipoproteins,α2 macroglobulin, immunoglobulin M (IgM), fibrinogen], plasma and blood viscosity.
We noticed soft drusen absorption: reattachment of drusenoid RPED and stabilization or improvement of visual acuity. Full-field electroretinograms showed significantly higher scotopic activity of treated patients in comparison with the control group.
Significant increase of activity in the paramacular retina in treated patients, the differences in amplitudes of multifocal electroretinography (mf ERG) between treated and control groups. Conclusion: Haemorheopheresis seems to be capable of changing the activity of promoters of the natural course of soft-drusen maculopathhy.
Visual acuity and electrical activity of the retina can be stabilized or even improved. The therapy has been shown to be effective and safe.