Macular Degeneration

Degeneration of the macula is the leading cause of legal blindness in people over fifty-five. The macula is an integral piece of the retina; we use it for our most acute and detailed vision -- reading, driving, watching television, precise work, and recognising faces. However, this weakening of central vision does not necessarily affect colour and peripheral vision. Macular degeneration generally takes place over a gradual period and at different rates in each eye. Its causes are still unclear, but we do know of two types. 'Dry' degeneration occurs when the macular tissues of the retina thin and disturb pigmentation, and 'wet' includes bleeding and scar tissue. Though macular degeneration is usually age-related, there are forms that affect younger individuals, but the reasons behind those cases are not yet known. This new book provides a review of this debilitating condition and the state of current medical research on macular degeneration. Following the overview are carefully selected abstracts of the relevant literature with easy access via title, subject, and author indexes.