Natural course and classification of extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance

Purpose: To describe the imaging characteristics and topographic expansion of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and outer retinal atrophy in extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance. Methods: Three-year, prospective, observational study. Nine patients with extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance (17 eyes; 6 women) with no other ocular conditions were annually examined; one eye was excluded because of macular neovascularization. Best-corrected visual acuity measurement, fundus photographs, blue-light autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography were performed at each visit. Formation of atrophy was analyzed on optical coherence tomography at foveal and extrafoveal areas following the Classification of Atrophy Meeting recommendations. Spatial enlargement throughout four sectors was assessed on blue-light autofluorescence after placing an Early Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid centered on the foveola. Results: Mean age was 53.0 +/- 2.1 years at baseline with a follow-up of 36.6 +/- 0.7 months. Thinning of the outer nuclear layer and disruption of the ellipsoid zone initially appeared above areas of RPE-Bruch membrane separation and preceded RPE atrophy. Subfoveal fibrosis was seen in 65% of the eyes. Superior sector involvement was found in all patients at baseline and was significantly larger than the other sectors at any time point (P < 0.001). Best-corrected visual acuity declined from 68.0 +/- 15.7 letters to 44.8 +/- 14.9 letters during the follow-up and was significantly associated with subfoveal atrophy (P < 0.001) and fibrosis (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that primary alterations in patients with extensive macular atrophy with pseudodrusen-like appearance are present at the outer segment-RPE interface, with the superior Early Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy Study sector being the most vulnerable, which progresses to extensive atrophy of the RPE and outer retinal layers. Accordingly, we propose a three-stage disease classification.