Which statement differentiates dry AMD from wet AMD?

Which statement differentiates dry AMD from wet AMD?

• A. Dry AMD has drusen and geographic atrophy; wet AMD has choroidal neovascularization with leakage causing rapid vision loss
• B. Dry AMD has CNV; wet AMD has drusen
• C. Both forms present identically
• D. Wet AMD has CNV but lacks leakage

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is what actually drives the difference in disease behavior: whether new blood vessels grow and leak. Dry AMD is characterized by drusen deposits and, in advanced stages, geographic atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors, leading to gradual vision loss. Wet AMD, on the other hand, involves choroidal neovascularization that breaches Bruch’s membrane and leaks fluid and blood under the retina, causing rapid and more severe vision loss. Because of that, the statement that differentiates the two is that dry AMD has drusen and geographic atrophy, while wet AMD has choroidal neovascularization with leakage. The other options are inconsistent with the typical distinctions: dry AMD does not involve CNV, wet AMD does involve CNV with leakage, and the two forms do not present identically.

The main idea here is what actually drives the difference in disease behavior: whether new blood vessels grow and leak. Dry AMD is characterized by drusen deposits and, in advanced stages, geographic atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors, leading to gradual vision loss. Wet AMD, on the other hand, involves choroidal neovascularization that breaches Bruch’s membrane and leaks fluid and blood under the retina, causing rapid and more severe vision loss. Because of that, the statement that differentiates the two is that dry AMD has drusen and geographic atrophy, while wet AMD has choroidal neovascularization with leakage. The other options are inconsistent with the typical distinctions: dry AMD does not involve CNV, wet AMD does involve CNV with leakage, and the two forms do not present identically.