ABSTRACT
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a
leading cause of rapid and severe visual loss and
legal blindness in developed countries (1,2). Ten
million Americans are visually disabled due to
AMD and 10% of patients aged 66 to 74 show
signs of AMD (3,4). Estimated prevalence is from
7% to 30% in persons aged 75 to 85 years (4-6). The
“wet” form of AMD is responsible for the most
severe and rapid vision loss. In North America,
200,000 to 400,000 people will develop this form of
AMD each year. Wet AMD accounts for 12% of cases
overall but 90% of cases of legal blindness (see chap
8 on Wet AMD) (4).
