Macular degeneration
Also Known As: Macular degeneration, Age-related macular degeneration
Macular degeneration, often age-related macular degeneration(AMD or ARMD), is a medical condition that usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (themacula) because of damage to the retina. It occurs in "dry" and "wet" forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults (>50 years), afflicting 30-50 million people globally.[1] Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activities of daily life.
Although some macular dystrophies affecting younger individuals are sometimes rarely referred to as macular degeneration, the term generally refers to age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD).
The retina is a network of visual receptors and nerves. It lies on thechoroid, a network of blood vessels that supply the retina with blood.
In the dry (nonexudative) form, cellular debris called drusenaccumulates between the retina and the choroid, causing atrophy and scarring to the retina. In the wet (exudative) form, which is more severe, blood vessels grow up from the choroid behind the retina which can leak exudate and fluid and also cause hemorrhaging. It can be treated with laser coagulation, and more commonly with medication that stops and sometimes reverses the growth of blood vessels.[2][3]
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