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What is the Definition of Macular Degeneration?

What is the Definition of Macular Degeneration?

Wet AMD

Wet AMD

Whenever the macula is compromised by any kind of degeneration, central vision is diminished.

"Macular degeneration" is a broad term doctors use to describe several conditions and diseases that affect the macula. The macula is a very important part of the eye. It is located at the center of the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue inside the back of the eye. It is the retina that converts light into signals that are sent to the brain to give us our sight. The macula contains a high concentration of specialized nerve cells that make central vision possible. Central vision allows us to see what is directly in front of us and to make out details and color. Whenever the macula is compromised by one of these eye conditions or diseases, central vision can be diminished.

The most common type of macular degeneration is called "age-related macular degeneration," or AMD. It is called "age-related" because it mostly affects people in their 50s and older. The definition of macular degeneration of this type ../includes that it is the leading cause of vision deterioration among elderly people in the United States and other developed countries.

If your eye doctor has diagnosed you with AMD, you have one of two types - dry or wet. The vast majority of people who have AMD have the dry form. It tends to progress more slowly than the wet type, although either type can lead to partial or complete loss of central vision. Your eye doctor may further categorize the definition of macular degeneration for your particular case. For example, based on what he or she sees in your eyes, your AMD may be "early," "intermediate" or "advanced." Definition degeneration macular also depends on the location and extent of AMD-related changes in your eyes.

How Does My Eye Doctor Diagnose AMD?

Your eye doctor will use several tests and instruments for viewing the inside of your eyes to determine whether you have AMD and for determining the specific definition of macular degeneration for your case. Many of the tests and instruments require that your pupils be dilated with drops to provide the best view into the back of your eyes.

One of the first instruments that is utilized is an ophthalmoscope. There are two kinds of ophthalmoscopes, direct and indirect. Both serve as a light source and a way to bring the back of your eye into focus. An indirect ophthalmoscope is hand-held and provides a view of your central retina. The eye doctor also needs a wider view, which is provided by the indirect ophthalmoscope. With the indirect ophthalmoscope, the doctor wears the light source on his head and holds magnifying lenses up to your eye to bring the entire retina into focus. While using the indirect ophthalmoscope, the doctor will ask you to look up, down, and to the sides.

Based on what the eye doctor sees with the ophthalmoscopes, he or she may use a test called a fluorescein angiogram to confirm a diagnosis of wet AMD. Fluorescein dye is injected into your arm, and you look into a camera that follows the dye through the blood vessels in your eye. How the dye flows helps the doctor to locate problem areas. Your eye doctor may also use a retinal camera to take still photos of the back of your eye. With many of these cameras, you will see a very bright flash of light.

A test you will have frequently if you have wet AMD is called optical coherence tomography, or OCT. OCT is a much faster test than an angiogram and it does not require dye. As you look into the OCT instrument, it scans your retina and produces cross-sectional images of the retinal tissue layers. The cross sections help the doctor to see whether the retinal layers are affected by AMD-related changes. They are especially helpful for determining how your eye is responding to treatment.

Hope for the future? New clinical trials.

NeoVista, Inc. is a company that is developing an intraocular epiretinal radiation device intended for the treatment of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration. If you, or someone you know, are interested in participating in the CABERNET Trial, please follow the link below:

Learn more about the CABERNET Trial

 

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