This volume of Documenta Ophthalmologica Proceedings Series collects the scientific papers presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Retinal Pigment Epithelium and the 4th Meeting of the European Macula Group held in Genoa, May 29-June 1, 1996. The Symposium on Retinal Pigment Epithelium was promoted by the University Eye Clinic of Genoa as the natural continuation of the first Symposium held with great success in Genoa in 1988. The previous Meetings of the European Macula Group were held in Coimbra (1988), Crete (1989) and Athens (1994). I was greatly pleased and honoured to host the fourth congress of this distinguished Society and I am grateful to Gabriel Coscas, Jose Cunha-Vaz and George Theodossiadis, found ers of the Society, for selecting Genoa on this occasion. The two meetings integrated well in an unicuum and brought together an exceptional number of outstanding retinal specialists coming from all over the world. All the aspects of the current research concerning retinal pigment epithelial and macular diseases were covered. Several interesting presentations regarded new techniques of retinal and choroidal imaging. A full session was dedicated to the latest advances in culture and transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial cells. Age-related macular degeneration was a major subject for discussion, including new approaches to treatment. This topic was high lighted by a mini-symposium on drusen, including a series of superb lectures on classification, clinicopathological studies, indocyanine green imaging, and laser treatment for prevention of choroidal neovascularization."

This volume of Documenta Ophthalmologica Proceedings Series collects the scientific papers presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Retinal Pigment Epithelium and the 4th Meeting of the European Macula Group held in Genoa, May 29-June 1, 1996. The Symposium on Retinal Pigment Epithelium was promoted by the University Eye Clinic of Genoa as the natural continuation of the first Symposium held with great success in Genoa in 1988. The previous Meetings of the European Macula Group were held in Coimbra (1988), Crete (1989) and Athens (1994). I was greatly pleased and honoured to host the fourth congress of this distinguished Society and I am grateful to Gabriel Coscas, Jose Cunha-Vaz and George Theodossiadis, found ers of the Society, for selecting Genoa on this occasion. The two meetings integrated well in an unicuum and brought together an exceptional number of outstanding retinal specialists coming from all over the world. All the aspects of the current research concerning retinal pigment epithelial and macular diseases were covered. Several interesting presentations regarded new techniques of retinal and choroidal imaging. A full session was dedicated to the latest advances in culture and transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial cells. Age-related macular degeneration was a major subject for discussion, including new approaches to treatment. This topic was high lighted by a mini-symposium on drusen, including a series of superb lectures on classification, clinicopathological studies, indocyanine green imaging, and laser treatment for prevention of choroidal neovascularization.

Rapid or even dramatic progress has been made in the field of AMD over recent years, leading to a constant revision of basic concepts. A wide range of fundus imaging modalities are now available, and this book explains the respective value of each technique. The information provided by OCT is presented logically by comparison with plain films, autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography, or indocyanine green angiography. Meticulous biomicroscopic examination of macular changes and the essential value of fluorescein angiography for the detection of anatomical alterations of the macula and for precise evaluation of lesions and their course by indocyanine green angiography have naturally led the author Gabriel Coscas to analyze the new data provided by OCT.