Association between Retinal Morphology and Visual Functions in Eyes with Typical Neovascular Age Related Macular Degeneration: A Pilot Study

Objective: The relationship between morphological and visual parameters in age-related macular degeneration may reveal markers for diagnosis and management of this disease. However, there is an insignificant paucity of research reporting any strong correlation between visual and morphological components of typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Hence, the objectives of the present pilot research were to assess detailed visual components and various optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters in eyes with typical nAMD, and to determine the association between them.Material and Methods: Patients identified as naïve nAMD were recruited from a public hospital in Malaysia. Distance visual acuity (DVA), near visual acuity (NVA), reading speed (RS) and contrast sensitivity (CS) were assessed. Several quantitative and qualitative morphological parameters were evaluated, using the spectral-domain OCT. Results: Fifteen newly diagnosed Typical nAMD eyes were examined. Mean (±standard deviation) DVA, NVA, CS and RS were recorded as: 0.92±0.39, 0.80±0.38, 0.75±0.39, 70.02±14, respectively. Average retinal thickness, central thickness and centre maximum thickness demonstrated good correlation (r≥0.05 with BCVA, NVA and CS. Similarly, the Centre minimum thickness demonstrated a good correlation (r≥0.50) with DVA. An intact external limiting membrane and photoreceptors inner and outer segment showed better visual components. Conclusion: This present pilot study reported visual components and OCT parameters of Malaysian eyes with Typical nAMD, with some of the OCT parameters showing good correlation with visual components. Thus, regardless of its small sample size, this present pilot study generated new knowledge and understanding in this area. Future research with a larger sample is recommended.