Table 39: Diagnostic Methods and Definitions.
| Study Name, | Diagnostic Methods | Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Mtns. Eye Study (56) | 30 degree stereoscopic retinal photographs of the macula and other retinal fields of both eyes Grading: The Wisconsin age-related grading system was used to grade individual ARM lesions developed by Klein et al. (58) |
Early ARM: was defined as the presence of either indistinct soft or reticular drusen or both distinct soft drusen and retinal pigmentary abnormalities in the absence of late AMD in either eye. AMD: includes neovascular AMD and geographical atrophy. Neovascular AMD was defined with serous or hemorrhagic detachment of the retinal pigment epithelium or sensory retina, the presence of subretinal or sub-retinal pigment epithelium hemorrhages or subretinal fibrous scars. Geographical atrophy was defined as discrete retinal depigmentation at least 175 μm in diameter with a sharp border and visible choroidal vessels. |
| Los Angeles Latino Eye Study(55) | 30-degree stereoscopic color retinal photographs Grading: grading was completed at the Wisconsin Ocular Epidemiology Reading Center using the Wisconsin Age-related Maculopathy Grading System developed by Klein et al. (58) |
Early ARM: absence of signs of advanced disease and the presence of soft indistinct or reticular drusen or hard or soft distinct drusen with pigmentary abnormalites (depigmentation or increased retinal pigment). AMD: presence of geographic atrophy or exudative AMD. |
| Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study (57) | 45 degree retinal photograph was taken of 1 eye, centered on the region of the optic disc and the macula. Pupillary dilatation was achieved after the participant spent 5 minutes in a dark room. No pharmacological mydriatic drops were used. Grading: grading was completed using the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy grading system developed by Klein et al. (58) Photographs were evaluated at the Fundus Photographic Reading Center in Madison Wisconsin. |
Early ARM was defined as the presence of soft drusen alone, retinal pigment epithelium depigmentation alone, or a combination of soft drusen with increased retinal pigment and/or depigmentation in the absence of AMD. AMD was defined as the presence of signs of exudative ADM degeneration or pure geographic atrophy. |
| Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)(58) | 45 degree 6.3 megapixel digital nonmydriatic camera. Two photographic fields were taken of each eye, the first entered on the optic disc and the second on the fovea. Grading: grading was completed the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading scheme developed by Klein et al. (58) |
Early ARM was defined by either the presence of any soft distinct or indistinct drusen and pigmentary abnormalities or the presence of a large soft drusen ≥ 125 μm in diameter, soft instinct drusen in the absence of signs of AMD. AMD was defined by the presence of any of the following: geographic atrophy or pigment epithelial detachment, sub-retinal hemorrhage or visible sub-retinal new vessel, or sub-retinal fibrous scar or laser treatment scar for AMD |