• myopia (another page)
• myopia and macula
• myopic macular degeneration
• myopic CNV

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The macula is the central part of the retina. It is responsible for detailed vision: for reading, seeing faces, watching TV etc. 

Myopia is discussed here. Essentially myopia is an optical condition caused by having an  extra-long eyeball, so the eye may be 28 mm long instead of the normal 22.3mm, for example.

Because the eyeball is extra long the retina becomes very thin and may become damaged. If the macula is damaged (the central area of the retina), central vision will be affected. There may be distortion with bendy lines, or there may be a patch in the centre with no vision.

In myopia the eye is extra long, and the retina extra thin. See
This may lead to damage to the central area of the retina (the macula).

The main type of macula change in myopia is thinning of the retina in the macula area. This is not treatable, and gets worse slowly with age.

Central vision is affected, and reading, TV, crossing roads, seeing bus numbers, become difficult.

Low visual aids and help from the low vision team can be very helpful indeed. Everyone keeps their side vision, and no one becomes completely blind. Generally the worst outcome is partial sight.  

More severe thinning may be due to CNV (immediately below).

thin atrophic patches
develop in the macula area

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In this type of myopic macula disease, new vessels grow in the macula area.

This is similar to wet ARMD, but in myopia it may occur in much younger people. However, it is much commoner in older myopia.

These new vessels are called 'CNV'...choroidal neovascular, as the blood vessels originate in the choroid and grow under the retina.

The CNV cause retinal leakage and swelling. The condition progresses to cause a scar in the macular area. If the scar is small, sight is reasonable; if large, the sight can be very poor.

Wet ARMD progresses 4 times faster (a 400% increase in progression rate) in smokers. It is very likely that smoking will similarly affect this type of macula degeneration.

In addition to smoking, high blood pressure, poor diet, lack of exercise increase the likelihood of progression.

The CNV can be treated, with PDT laser, or with anti-VEGF drugs. Treatment is very similar to wet ARMD, and protocols are similar. Generally the CNV respond better to treatment than in ARMD, but the CNV may return later.

New vessels growing under the central retina 
enlarge
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