Central corneal endothelial guttae and age-related macular degeneration: is there an association?

The similarities between the corneal endothelium and retinal pigment epithelium in terms of their embryology, barrier function and predilection to age-related degeneration prompted this investigation into a possible association between central corneal guttae (CCG) and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). 50 patients with clinically significant CCG were prospectively evaluated for the presence of ARMD. 51 age-matched patients attending for unrelated ailments who did not have CCG were also evaluated for the presence of drusen and other signs of ARMD. Of the 50 patients with CCG, 23 had bilateral ARMD and 4 had unilateral ARMD. In the control group, 9 patients had bilateral and 4 had unilateral ARMD. There was significant difference in the prevalence of ARMD between patients with CCG and those with no CCG (p = 0.017 and p < 0.001 for right and left eyes respectively). We found an association between CCG and ARMD. The presence of CCG in a patient may imply increased risk for the presence of ARMD. In a patient with CCG requiring cataract or corneal surgery, the successful outcome may be compromised by the presence of ARMD.