What are the differences between “dry” and “wet” macular degeneration?
There are 2 kinds of macular degeneration. The most common form affecting about 90 or 95 percent of people is the dry form, and that’s a deterioration of the outer cell layer, the RPE layer. And, as you look in the eye, as an eye doctor, we see little white spots that are a sign of macular degeneration of the dry form. The other kind is called the wet form. That involves blood vessels, new blood vessels, growing through the RPE layer under the retina. That tends to cause much more severe visual loss because these blood vessels bleed, and when they bleed they destroy large areas of retina all at once. Fortunately the more severe form, the wet form, is also a more rare form.
