| Even though the degree of damage caused by | | | | accumulate in the retinal pigment epithelium tissue |
| macular degeneration varies from person to | | | | beneath the macula. Drusen deposits are mainly |
| person, there are 2 broad categories of macular | | | | composed of waste products from photoreceptor |
| degeneration. These can be classified as wet | | | | cells. RPE tissues due to certain unknown reasons |
| macular degeneration and dry macular | | | | lose its ability to process waste. These deposits |
| degeneration. There are various other types of | | | | are thought to interfere with the function of |
| macular degeneration as well. Some of them are | | | | photoreceptors in the macula, further causing |
| age related macular degeneration (AMD) while the | | | | progressive degeneration of these cells. Drusen |
| others are hereditary types. Some of the | | | | deposits can otherwise also be present in the |
| hereditary types are Vitelliform (Bests), Fundus | | | | retina without vision loss. Vision loss from dry |
| Flavimaculatus (Stargardts), Central Areolar | | | | macular degeneration occurs very gradually over |
| Choroidal atrophy and Cone degeneration. Toxic is | | | | the course of several years. |
| caused by Plaquenil (prescribed for lupus and | | | | Wet macular degeneration accounts for only |
| rheumatoid arthritis). Certain major tranquilizers | | | | about 10% of the total cases. Wet macular |
| when used over a long term in high dosages can | | | | degeneration is also called as choroidal |
| also result in macular degeneration. | | | | neovascularization, subretinal neovascularization, |
| One of the most common types of macular | | | | exudative or disciform degeneration. In this type, |
| degeneration is dry AMD, and this accounts for | | | | abnormal blood vessel growth forms beneath the |
| 90% of the total cases. The medical terms for | | | | macula. These vessels leak blood and fluid into the |
| dry AMD are atrophic AMD, geographic atrophy, | | | | macula damaging photoreceptor cells and as it |
| non-exudative or drusenoid macular degeneration. | | | | tends to progress rapidly, it causes severe |
| In dry AMD, yellow-white deposits called drusen | | | | damage to central vision. |