Drusen are associated with macular degeneration but are not diagnostic of the disease. Too many feel that these "spots" are indicative of ARMD, but they can, and often are, normal. What Are These White Lesions? Drusen are white spots, or lesions, seen within the layers of the retina. There are two types; hard and soft. The differences between the two are somewhat subtle. Hard drusen … [Read more...]
Here’s Blood in Your Eye!
November 6, 2009 By 2 Comments
Blood in your eye can mean many things to different people. The most common "blood" is the sudden appearance of fire engine red blood on the outside of the. It is called a subconjunctival hemorrhage. It is usually scary, painless, ugly and benign. As a black and blue bruise, it will clear in about 1-2 weeks. I am talking about blood inside your eye. Vitreous Hemorrhage - In patients … [Read more...]
Systemic Avastin May Be Effective for Macular Degeneration
August 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In select instances, administering Avastin® (bevacizumab) intravenously may be an effective way of treating patients with wet macular degeneration. In a short study, patients were randomly selected to be treated with either intravenous Avastin® or saline. Patients received only 3 infusions every two weeks and were followed for 24 weeks. Patients were observed for changes in the lesion … [Read more...]
Fluorescein Angiography and Macular Degeneration
July 31, 2009 By 1 Comment
Fluorescein angiography is a time-stamped test for evaluating the health of the macula in any suspected disease state. It is particularly useful for patients with macular degeneration (ARMD). It can detect vascular problems, swelling, neovascularization, macular degeneration and inherited/congenital retinal disorders. It is a very helpful test. When do we use fluorescein angiography? We use … [Read more...]
Combination of Radiation and anti-VEGF Shows Promise
July 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In article released in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers describe a combination of brachytherapy and intravitreal injections of Avastin to treat patients with choroidal neovascularization from ARMD (the so-called "wet" form of the disease). In this prospective, randomized trial, 34 patients were treated with brachytherapy and two injections of bevacizumab (Avastin®). The … [Read more...]
