A 73-year-old male complains of seeing an empty area in the center of his vision. On examination, large drusen and pigmentary changes are noted in his macula. What could be the likely diagnosis?
The symptoms of an empty area or blind spot in the center of his vision, along with the presence of large drusen and pigmentary changes in the macula, suggest a diagnosis of advanced dry (atrophic) age-related macular degeneration. In the advanced stages of the disease, atrophy and death of photoreceptor cells in the macula lead to a loss of central vision.