2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
12 Retina and Vitreous
Part II: Disorders of the Retina and Vitreous
Chapter 09: Choroidal Disease
Age-Related Choroidal Atrophy
The thickness of the choroid decreases with higher amounts of myopia and increasing age. The eyes of some older patients have choroids that are much thinner than expected. These same eyes tend to have pseudodrusen, which resemble drusen in appearance but are caused by collections of subretinal drusenoid deposits above the RPE. Like eyes with drusen, eyes with subretinal drusenoid deposits have an increased risk for CNV, particularly types 2 and 3, and geographic atrophy. More than 90% of eyes with geographic atrophy also have pseudodrusen. Unlike eyes with drusen, eyes with subretinal drusenoid deposits exhibit poorer microperimetry performance and markedly prolonged dark adaptation (Figs 9-13, 9-14).
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 10 - Glaucoma. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.