Can macular degeneration be caused caused by myopia?
Myopic degeneration is one of many disorders that can also cause damage to the macula. Extreme myopia (nearsightedness) often results in stretching and thinning of the retina in the back of the eye. This usually happens because the back of the eye is larger than normal when the eye is very nearsighted. Marked thinning and stretching may lead to break down of the macula, surrounding retina and its underlying tissue. This will cause a varying amount of blurred vision. There is no generally accepted treatment for myopic degeneration. Occasionally, abnormal blood vessels may grow beneath the retina. These may be treated with laser in the same way that abnormal blood vessels (subretinal neovascularization) may be treated in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), depending on their size and location. AMD is not more common in myopia.
