Complete retinal pigment epithelium and outer retinal atrophy: Is it really an end-stage atrophy?

Geographic atrophy (GA), a late manifestation of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), leads to irreversible vision loss. Early identification of precursor lesions, such as incomplete and complete retinal pigment epithelium and outer retinal atrophy (iRORA and cRORA), is crucial for predicting GA...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of ophthalmology 2024-10
Main Authors: Santamaría, Juan, Pagani, Fernando, Monés, Jordi
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Geographic atrophy (GA), a late manifestation of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), leads to irreversible vision loss. Early identification of precursor lesions, such as incomplete and complete retinal pigment epithelium and outer retinal atrophy (iRORA and cRORA), is crucial for predicting GA formation. The latter stage has been associated with irreversible and progressive changes, and the eventual development of a dense scotoma on the compromised area. We present an 80-year-old woman with AMD in both eyes, demonstrating progressive changes over a 2-year follow-up. While the right eye developed cRORA with vision decline, the left eye exhibited unexpected restoration of the outer retinal layers within the cRORA lesion. This finding challenges the notion of “end-stage atrophy” in GA development and highlights the potential reversibility of early atrophic lesions. Recognizing these dynamics has implications for the development of targeted therapies aimed at preserving vision in AMD's early stages.
ISSN:1120-6721
1724-6016
DOI:10.1177/11206721241290263