- Related Topics:
- eye disease
- retina
- macula lutea
- vision
- age-related macular degeneration
- On the Web:
- National Center for Biotechnology Information - Macular Degeneration (Oct. 17, 2026)
macular degeneration
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What is macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is a group of blinding disorders that gradually deteriorate the retina in the eye. The macula lutea, a small yellowish area of the retina, is responsible for central vision. Macular degeneration results in a loss of neurons, decreasing sensitivity in the center of the visual field while usually retaining peripheral vision.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form, affecting about 14% of people over 80 and is most prevalent in people of European descent. AMD has two forms: wet and dry. Wet AMD involves new blood vessels that compromise central vision acuity, while dry AMD is characterized by drusen and retinal pigment loss. There is no treatment for dry AMD.
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Which part of the eye does macular degeneration affect?
Macular degeneration is a group of blinding disorders that gradually deteriorate the retina in the eye. The macula lutea, found in the central region of the retina, is responsible for providing acute vision because it receives focused incoming light. Macular degeneration causes loss of neurons in the macula, decreasing sensitivity in the center of the visual field, though peripheral vision is usually retained.
There are two forms of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), known as wet and dry. Both conditions reduce central vision but do not interfere with peripheral vision.
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What are some common symptoms of macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is a group of blinding disorders that gradually deteriorate the retina in the eye, impacting central vision, while typically preserving peripheral vision. Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the most common form, especially among individuals over 50, and is a major cause of severe vision loss.
Common symptoms include the presence of drusen (small masses of extracellular material under the retina). In early stages, night blindness may occur. Quick and severe vision loss is typical of wet ARMD, where new blood vessels grow beneath the retina, potentially bleeding and scarring it. This makes reading and fine work difficult.
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What are the main types of macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration is a group of blinding disorders that gradually deteriorate the retina in the eye, causing decreased sensitivity in the center of the visual field. Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) has two types:
* Dry ARMD is characterized by tiny yellow deposits on the retina and the loss of retinal pigment.
* Wet ARMD is when new, fragile blood vessels form beneath the retina, compromising central vision.There are also five known genetic forms of macular degeneration.
* Best disease is characterized by early onset and is caused by mutations in the BEST1 gene.
* Stargardt macular dystrophy is the most common genetic form and is caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene.
* Stargardt-like macular dystrophy is caused by mutations in the ELOVL4 gene.
* Malattia Leventinese is characterized by a honeycomb-like pattern of drusen formation and is caused by mutations in the EFEMP1 gene.
* Sorsby fundus dystrophy is clinically similar to wet AMD and is caused by mutations in the TIMP3 gene.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What causes macular degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most prevalent type of macular degeneration, with its occurrence rising significantly with age, particularly affecting individuals over 80. While the exact cause of AMD remains unknown, several risk factors have been identified, including genetics, ethnic origin, gender, and smoking.
There are five known genetic forms of macular degeneration, each linked to specific genes such as BEST1, ABCA4, ELOVL4, EFEMP1, and TIMP3. AMD is diagnosed by observing the quantity, size, and presence of drusen under the retina. The disease advances into two forms, wet and dry. There is currently no treatment for dry AMD.
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How can macular degeneration be detected and treated?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is diagnosed by identifying drusen, or extracellular material, under the retina. As AMD advances, retinal cell loss becomes visible during clinical exams.
There are two forms of advanced AMD, wet and dry. Wet AMD can be treated to slow new blood vessel growth and vision loss, but there is no treatment for dry AMD. High-dose supplements of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and zinc may slow AMD progression for those at high risk.
The macula lutea is a small yellowish area of the retina that provides central vision. In its center is the fovea, which contains cones, specialized nerve cells associated with color vision and fine detail perception.
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macular degeneration, group of blinding disorders that cause the gradual deterioration of the retina in the eye. The central region of the retina contains the macula lutea, which receives focused incoming light and is responsible for providing acute vision. The macula is found in humans, higher primates, and chameleons. The loss of neurons in the macula causes decreased sensitivity in the centre of the visual field; peripheral vision is usually retained.
Age-related macular degeneration
The most common form of macular degeneration is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and the incidence of this disease increases dramatically with age, affecting approximately 14 percent of those over age 80. AMD is the most common cause of vision loss in the industrialized world and is most prevalent in populations of European descent. In the United States AMD accounts for about 54 percent of vision loss in the non-Hispanic white population, about 4 percent of vision loss in the African American population, and about 14 percent of vision loss in the Hispanic population. In addition, vision loss from AMD is more prevalent in females. The cause of AMD is unknown, but in addition to ethnic origin and gender, several other risk factors have been identified. These include smoking and the inheritance of certain genetic variants, such as those occurring in the genes CFH (complement factor H), APOE (apolipoprotein E), and possibly ARMS2 (age-related maculopathy susceptibility), B3GLCT (beta-1,3-glucosyltransferase), and BLOC1S1 (biogenesis of lysosomal organelles complex 1 subunit 1).
The diagnosis of AMD is determined by the presence, number, and size of drusen (small masses of extracellular material) under the retina. As the disease progresses, loss of the retinal cells can be seen on clinical exams. Advanced AMD has two forms, often referred to as wet and dry. Wet AMD occurs when new blood vessels sprout from the choriocapillaris (vascular layer in the choroid, the tissue separating the sclera and retina), and dry AMD is the atrophic loss of cells in the macula. Wet AMD can be treated to retard the growth of new blood vessels, which slows vision loss. There is no treatment for dry AMD. The progression of AMD in those at greatest risk of losing vision can be slowed with high-dose dietary supplementation of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and zinc, all of which are thought to have an antioxidant function.
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Other forms of macular degeneration
Macular degeneration has five known genetic forms for which the causative genes have been identified. Best disease is a form of macular degeneration that is typically characterized by early onset and is caused by mutations in a gene known as BEST1 (bestrophin 1). Stargardt macular dystrophy, which is the most common genetic form of macular degeneration, is the only form inherited in an autosomal recessive manner (disease occurs only when mutations are inherited from both parents). It is caused by mutations in a gene called ABCA4 (ATP-binding cassette, subfamily A, member 4). Stargardt-like macular dystrophy differs from Stargardt macular dystrophy in that it is caused by mutations in a gene called ELOVL4 (elongation of very-long-chain fatty acids-like 4). Malattia Leventinese (Doyne honeycomb) retinal dystrophy, which is characterized by a honeycomb-like pattern of drusen formation under the retina, is caused by mutations in the gene EFEMP1 (EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1). Sorsby fundus dystrophy, which is clinically similar to wet AMD, is caused by mutations in a gene known as TIMP3 (tissue-inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3). These forms of macular degeneration, with the exception of Stargardt macular dystrophy, are inherited as autosomal dominant traits; disease occurs when a mutant gene is inherited from one parent. All five of these genetic forms of macular degeneration are rare, occurring in less than 1 in 2,000 people, and can present clinically in children, young adults, and adults.