Abstract

Age-related maculopathy (ARM) is the leading cause of new legal blindness in the U. S. population over 60 years of age¹. Visual loss in ARM comes about in several ways. Retinal pigment epithelial atrophy, referred to as the nonexudative form of ARM, is more common in the overall ARM population but it develops gradually and is responsible for only ten percent of cases developing vision of 20/200 or less. The exudative form, including pigment epithelial detachments (PEDs) and subretinal neovascular membranes (NVMs), is less common in the total ARM population, but is responsible for ninety percent of visual loss to the 20/200 level or less².

© 1988 Optical Society of America