Long term IJT outcome

I just found out today that the little blind spot in my right eye that I discovered getting reading glasses 6 years ago was IJT. The IJT went undiagnosed because the original blind spot was very small. It was missed by three ophthalmologists over the course of 4 different exams in the past 6 years. But today, a qualified Retinologist did the tests today, and gave me the news. My condition is more annoying than anything else. It gets in the way with fine print, and lately I occasionally miss letters in words. What I want to know is the degree of progression. Does it ever just stop spontaneously stop? What is the average degree of progression.Years? Decades? My condition is about 6 years old. I'm 53. Only recently have I noticed a slight change in the symptoms. It was detected today that I have some IJT in my other eye, but it is very slight.

Answer:

Idiopathic juxtafoveal telangiectasia can remain stable for years, but generally over decades there is some decline in visual acuity. In other words, how far down on the eye chart you can read tends to deteriorate over decades. There is considerable variation in severity of the condition, making it hard to generalize. If you have known about this for 6 years, it is probably your best bet that you will continue along the same trajectory you've been on. Make sure that you check an amsler grid. If it shows changes, get in for an examination pronto, because sometimes a subretinal neovascular membrane complicates IJFT, and this can be treated with intravitreal injections of drugs such as avastin.