To the Editor.
—We read with interest the article by van der Schaft et al1 published in the March 1991 issue of the Archives and believe that several issues need further clarification.In the article, the authors appear to discuss basal linear or laminar deposit (BLD) in macular degeneration, but they focus exclusively on long-spacing collagen, which is by no means identical to BLD. Basal laminar deposits are described in standard works.2 In a previous study,3 we illustrated the various components of BLD with electron microscopy and showed that long-spacing collagen, which of course is also seen and has been described in various other parts of the eye and body, is one of the many features present in the advanced stage of BLD formation. However, the characteristic constituent of BLD is an electron-dense (nonbanded) substance. Furthermore, in preliminary immunohistochemical studies,4 we also demonstrated the presence of