What Are The Types And Causes Of Macular Degeneration?
There are three general types of hereditary macular degeneration. 1. Early onset – birth to age seven This type is dominantly inherited which means that both parents and their children can be affected (often called Best disease or vitelliform macular degeneration). 2. Middle onset – age five to twenty This type is often called Stargardt’s disease, juvenile macular dystrophy or fundus flavimaculatus. It is usually recessively inherited, which means that it can appear when few or no other family members have been affected. Rarely, this condition can be dominantly inherited . 3. Late onset age thirties and forties This type may have either a dominant or recessive mode of inheritance (often called Behr’s, Sorsby’s, Doyne’s or honeycomb dystrophy). How Is Juvenile Macular Degeneration Diagnosed and Treated? A comprehensive medical eye examination by an ophthalmologist is the first step in diagnosing juvenile macular degeneration. Special tests such as fluorescein angiography and electroreti
