| The macula is the central section of the retina. | | | | among different cases, even though they are |
| The retina is a part of the eye that contains the | | | | related by blood. Some patients experience |
| photosensitive cells that are responsible in sending | | | | severe deterioration in the central vision, others |
| visual messages to the brain. The brain then | | | | don't. |
| interprets these electrical messages. The densest | | | | Doyne's Honeycomb Retinal Dystrophy- This |
| area of concentration of these photosensitive cells | | | | condition is known to have the same symptoms |
| is located at the macula. The macular | | | | to that of the Adult Macular Degeneration that |
| degeneration is impairment or loss of function of | | | | normally arise by patients second-half of life. |
| the macular zone that results to weakening and | | | | Sorsby's Fundus Dystrophy- With this type of |
| eventual death of the vital central vision. Thus the | | | | JMD, symptoms are normally obvious during |
| extensive development of blind spots. | | | | middle aged persons which includes |
| Central vision is impaired while peripheral vision | | | | neovascularization. |
| remains the same in macular degeneration. | | | | Stargardt's Disease- Is known to be the most |
| Symptoms are only obvious when the case is | | | | common form of JMD. Symptoms associated |
| already advanced. This is because the brain | | | | with this type like scarring of the macula and |
| adapts to the blind spots and fills in the details as | | | | visual acuity normally occur during childhood until |
| it interprets the electrical messages sent to visual | | | | the teenage years. Another variant of this type is |
| centers. | | | | the fundus flavimaculatus that develops during |
| Most cases of appear in individuals aged 60 and | | | | early adulthood. |
| above. This form of the disease is termed as | | | | Causes of macular degeneration are usually |
| AMD or Age-Related Macular Degeneration. | | | | associated with the gene deficiency. Yet the root |
| But contrary to what is originally known, macular | | | | cause is yet to be determined. The dry form is |
| degeneration also affects infants and children. This | | | | considered to be the result of the thinning and |
| is caused by genetical factors, specifically gene | | | | aging of the macular tissues and the deposition of |
| mutation. This condition is called as Juvenile Macular | | | | the pigment in the macula. It may also be the |
| Degeneration or JMD. | | | | cause of both actions. In the wet form however, |
| JMD is further subdivided into the following | | | | the primary cause may be the neovascularization |
| classifications: | | | | or growth of new blood vessels underneath the |
| Autosomal Dominant Hemorrhagic Macular | | | | retina and leak of fluid and blood. Leakage in |
| Dystrophy- This disorder normally resembles the | | | | return will "kill" the retinal cells that eventually |
| Sorsby's Fundus Dystrophy, except for the | | | | create blind spots at the central vision. |
| mutation of the gene TIMP-3. | | | | Current studies concerning the macular |
| Best's Vitelliform Macular Dystrophy- This | | | | degeneration are generally concerned on the |
| condition ranks second after the Stargardt's | | | | effects of the faulty genes to vision. Macular |
| disease and is normally a mild form of the macular | | | | degeneration is relatively new and there are many |
| degeneration. It is characterized with the egg yolk | | | | areas of studies that are yet to be researched |
| symptom that creates a drusen spot in the | | | | and determined. This is the reason why there are |
| macula. This egg yolk spot will then break up, thus | | | | still no concrete methods of diagnosing the |
| the term scrambled egg drusen. The degree of | | | | existence of the disease and the process of |
| impairment on the central vision differs largely | | | | treatment. |