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