Baumal shows how to identify AMD mimickers
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Several retinal diseases present similarly to wet age-related macular degeneration, so ophthalmologists should be sure of the diagnosis and watch out for AMD mimickers, according to a presenter.
“Structure doesn’t always equal function and getting rid of persistent subretinal fluid may reduce vision,” Caroline Baumal, MD, said during a presentation at the virtual OSN New York Retina meeting. Baumal presented five case studies where the patient was initially diagnosed with AMD. In all five scenarios, misdiagnoses had patients treated for the wrong disease.
Conditions that mimic wet AMD include basal laminar drusen, Best disease, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, vitelliform lesion and chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.
To avoid a misdiagnosis, Baumal made several recommendations. Before beginning a treatment regimen, it is important to have a plan of action, including an endpoint and timeframe, as well as a potential plan B. Before and throughout, it is helpful to have a clear expectation of the response to tests and treatment, Baumal said. If the response does not match the expected result, it is worth ordering further testing to confirm the diagnosis.
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Baumal C. AMD Mimickers. Presented at: OSN New York and OSN New York Retina; Oct. 17-18, 2020 (virtual meeting).
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