Optical Coherence Tomography Biomarkers Predicting Progression to Atrophy in Non-Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced, currently incurable stage of non-exudative AMD and is characterized by progressive atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and outer retina, resulting in substantial visual impairment. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has revolutionized the diagnosis and monitoring of AMD by enabling in vivo visualization of retinal microstructure and identification of imaging biomarkers associated with progression to late-stage disease. Improved understanding of these lesions may clarify disease pathogenesis and inform the development of new therapeutic strategies and clinical trial endpoints. This review summarizes OCT-based biomarkers reported as predictors of progression to late atrophic forms of AMD, with emphasis on early atrophic changes that precede GA.