Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a medical condition where the light sensing cells in the macula malfunction and over time cease to work. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, it is the leading cause of central vision loss (blindness) in the United States today for those over the age of fifty. There are two basic types of the disease: Standard Macular Degeneration (MD) and Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), with ARMD being the most common form of the condition. Macular degeneration that is not age related is most commonly caused by an inherited condition. These forms are sometimes called Juvenile macular degeneration (JMD). In macular degeneration the final form results in missing or blurred vision in the central, reading part of vision. The outer, peripheral part of the vision remains intact.

Juvenile macular degeneration

"Macular degeneration" is a descriptive term for any condition which leads to loss of function of the light sensitive cells at the center of the retina. Several rare hereditary conditions can lead to macular degeneration in children and adolescents. These include:

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• Autosomal dominant hemorrhagic macular dystrophy
• Best's Disease
• Doyne's honeycomb retinal dystrophy
• Sorsby's Disease
• Stargardt's Disease