macular degeneration

noun

, Ophthalmology.

degeneration of the central portion of the retina, resulting in a loss of sharp vision.

pathological changes in the macula lutea, resulting in loss of central vision: a common cause of blindness in the elderly

macular degeneration

/ măk′yə-lər /

A progressive condition, usually seen in the elderly, characterized by a gradual loss of vision in the central area of the visual field and eventual blindness.

Such diseases potentially include macular degeneration, which affects millions of people worldwide.

And in her final years, when she was blinded by macular degeneration and suffocating with emphysema, vanity left her isolated.

When RPE cells die, as they do in macular degeneration, the photoreceptors begin to die, too, and the patient goes blind.

Browse