Active clinical trials for "Macular Degeneration"

The investigators have developed an image analysis method that can predict the likelihood that a patient with age related macular degeneration (AMD) will progress within 1 year, based on computerized analysis of optical coherence tomography (OCT) images that are routinely acquired in clinical practice on each patient visit to the ophthalmologist. The investigators' goal is to evaluate whether this method will improve the ability to detect AMD earlier and improve visual outcomes in AMD patients by assigning patient risk categories and having patients come back for follow up based on those categories.

The purpose of the study was (1) to determine thresholds for discriminating speed in peripheral fields of patients with dry AMD and (2) to examine the driving skills of licensed drivers with early dry AMD using a driving simulator and to investigate how their healthy counterparts perform on the same driving tasks. We hypothesized that speed discrimination may be better in patients with dry AMD than in healthy control subjects.

The administration of short courses of topical antibiotic drops before and/or after intravitreal injections is a common practice, but increasing evidence suggests this may not lower the risk of infectious endophthalmitis and could increase rates of antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of the present study is to determine the antimicrobial resistance profiles in patients who have received numerous (≥ 20) courses of antibiotics for intravitreal injection compared with untreated controls. This study compares 20 control patients without prior intravitreal injection to 20 patients who have undergone ≥ 20 prior intravitreal injections accompanied by a course of topical antibiotics for two days before and/or after the injection procedure. The lower, inner eyelid and nasal cavity were cultured and evaluated via disk diffusion method for antimicrobial sensitivity.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in industrial countries. In the late stages of the disease, neovascular changes or the development of geographic atrophy (GA) may induce severe visual loss. GA is characterized by the development of areas of outer retinal atrophy with continuous spread over time that is corresponded to an visual field defect for the patient. The pathogenesis is still incompletely understood. Despite the break-through in the treatment of neovascular AMD by intravitreally administrated vascular endothelial growths factor (VEGF) inhibitors, there is yet no treatment available to slow down or halt the disease process in GA. We and others have demonstrated that the total GA area progression shows large differences between patients. Potential factors influencing differential progression have been intensely studied: While neither systemic nor genetic factors have been shown to influence GA progression, ocular characteristics such as GA baseline size or phenotypic features of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) abnormalities have been identified as risk characteristics for increased GA progression. While these previous studies have mainly focused on the characterization of total GA area progression, topographic directional spread has not been analyzed and relevant predictive markers are yet unknown. There may be large differences in the local GA progression. The primary objective of this study is to identify specific characteristics, for the local GA progression. The knowledge of such risk factors may help to better understand the pathogenesis of GA. The identification of predictive markers will allow for better prognostic assessment of the individual disease process. The DSGA study is the extension trial of the FAM (Fundus Autofluorescence in Age-related Macular Degeneration) study (NCT00393692).

Subjects with wet AMD, dry AMD, and age-matched controls will undergo routine occular measurements, will provide a blood and cheek cell sample, and will have macular pigment optical density (MPOD) measured to determine if there is an association between genetics, MPOD and the risk of progression to wet AMD.

This study is to investigate whether there is an association of the LOC387715/HTRA1 variants with response to treatment with combined photodynamic therapy and intravitreal bevacizumab for patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Retrospective, non-interventional, observational multi-center field study. Patients diagnosed with wet Age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) and having started treatment with ranibizumab between January 1, 2009 and August 31, 2009 must be consecutively screened and, if eligible, enrolled. Patients will be followed up at maximum until August 31, 2011. Switch to any other Anti vascUlar endothelial growth factor (anti VEGF) treatment will be documented and followed up. For each patient, demographics, medical history, administered treatments, results of ocular and visual assessments and other tests (where available) will be documented.

To this study and identify the sequence of alterations occurring in the chorioretinal interface during progression of AMD from "dry" AMD to sight-threatening chorioretinal neovascularization (CNV).

This study will evaluate potential candidates for future clinical research studies related to diagnosed or undiagnosed genetic eye disorders or diseases. It will not test any new treatments, but it may arrange for standard treatments for existing eye disorders. The purpose of the study is to train eye doctors and medical researchers at the National Institutes of Health in appropriate methods and procedures for treating patients with genetic eye diseases, and to expand the pool of possible participants for future research studies and trials on eye health. Volunteers for this study may be adults and minor children who have been diagnosed with or are at risk for having a genetic eye disease. Candidates may not have any other medical conditions that would interfere with the researchers' ability to perform the examinations and procedures required for this study. Participants will give a complete medical and family history and undergo a series of tests and procedures as part of this research study. The procedures include a full eye examination and vision testing, electrooculography and an electroretinogram to examine the function of the retina, and flourescein angiography to provide information on the flow of blood in the participant's eyes. Participants will provide research material for further studies by giving a blood sample to be held for genetic testing and analysis, and adult participants will also undergo a skin biopsy to provide cell tissue for additional research material. At each clinic visit, participants will receive treatment for their genetic eye disease as needed, including medications or surgical procedures. Participants may remain a part of this study for up to three years.

Retinal thickness measurement is one of the most important examinations in the follow up of exudative age-related macular degeneration. Prior studies have shown that there are a series of algorithm line failures in OCT examinations. This study is conducted to compare the quality of the examinations of to different spectral domain OCT machines concerning the positioning of algorithm lines. Furthermore the reproducibility of the examinations id tested, both machines provide different techniques to guarantee that in repeated examinations the same location is examined.