Degenerative maculopathy is an irreversible disease that affects the macula, the central part of the retina. The result is a progressive loss of visual ability.
There are two distinct forms of maculopathy: dry and wet.
Dry degenerative maculopathy is the most common, affecting up to 90 percent of cases; it results from the atrophy of certain retinal cells and the subsequent formation of a scar in the macula that prevents vision. Wet degenerative maculopathy is rarer but more serious: because of the formation of fragile capillaries under the retina, it can produce retinal hemorrhages.
Both forms are age-related and are markedly more common in people over 65 years of age.
