Dictionary

AMD is the abbreviation for age-related macular degeneration. In industrialized countries, this disease is the most common cause of sight loss in old people. Patients lose their “central vision”, which means that they lose precisely the part of the sight that in healthy eyes is responsible for the sharpest and most detailed vision. This loss of vision is caused by a destruction of the central part of the retina, called macula. There are two types of AMD: “Dry” AMD is characterized by small scars and deposits (drusen). “Wet” AMD is caused by new blood vessels growing underneath the retina and lifting it. For this reason, doctors may also call this condition “neovascular AMD”. These vessels may leak, allowing blood or fluids to seep into the retina and to damage the cells.