macular degeneration
macular degeneration n. a group of conditions affecting the macula lutea of the eye, resulting in a reduction or loss of central vision. age-related m. d. (AMD, ARMD) the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. Atrophic or dry AMD results from chronic choroidal ischaemia: small blood vessels of the choroid, which lies beneath the retina, become constricted, reducing the blood supply to the macula. This gives rise to degenerative changes in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE; see retina). Wet AMD is associated with the growth of abnormal new blood vessels under the retina, derived from the choroid (see (choroidal) neovascularization). These can leak fluid and blood into the RPE, which further reduces macular function.
www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_rnib003635.hcsp Information about macular degeneration from the Royal National Institute of the Blind
www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_rnib003635.hcsp Information about macular degeneration from the Royal National Institute of the Blind
More From encyclopedia.com
NEARBY TERMS
macular degeneration
