retinopathy

[3 Elaine]

After a battery of tests the retinal specialist I saw narrowed my new vision loss to either central serous chorioretinopathy or macular degenration.  Apparently the swelling is behind the retina.  He has suggesteed that I return in 2 weeks to see if the condition improves.  If it does not, the treatment he has suggested is an injection into the eye itself of a drug designed to "dry up" abnormal blood vessels (assuming then that I may have macular degeneration). Please advise on this treatment form (injection) and provide me with a source to obtain information for these eye conditions.  Thank you.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS]

There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry or non-exudative and wet or exudative. Wet macular degeneration is treated with medications injected into the eye to try and dry up the leaking blood vessels. The medicatcations are VEGF inhibitors (Avastin and Lucentis) or a steroid (Macugen).

Central serous chorioretinopathy is normally NOT treated with these medications.

Use Google and search "Wet macular degeneration", and central serous retinopathy.

JCH III MD