Macular degeneration in young patients: what to expect?

Some diseases, such as macular degeneration, are usually more common in older people. However, when this condition affects a young person, the case is considered exceptional. And that worries us because the more support would be more difficult ...

The macula is an area of the retina that is at the bottom of the eye, at which visual acuity is maximum.

The degeneration of the macula or macular degeneration is a deterioration of the macula, causing therefore a progressive loss of visual acuity vision becomes blurred. However, as the disease does not affect peripheral vision, it is therefore no total blindness for distance vision is preserved.

Macular degeneration is usually due to aging, and particularly affects patients over 50 years. This is the most common form. However, there are cases of macular degeneration in young patients, in these cases, which are rare, the disease is hereditary. This is called an inherited juvenile macular degeneration or macular degeneration. In this form of macular degeneration, the disease is usually bilateral and affects both eyes.

Signs of macular degeneration are not always the same because vary by age. The disease is characterized by progressive loss of vision, which began with a blurred vision, distortion of straight lines, difficulty reading and an appearance of blackheads.

The disease can also lead to a change in the perception of color or facial features of an individual.

The progressive loss of vision, blurred vision and sufficient to justify the importance of consultation and regular ophthalmological follow. As the disease is detected at an earlier stage, more care is better. Sometimes patients are slow to see and do find it useful to visit an ophthalmologist only when vision loss becomes severe.

Only the ophthalmologist is able to establish the diagnosis of macular degeneration, some tests are useful as fundus examination and fluorescein angiography for example.

In addition, most patients do not know they suffer from macular degeneration, and thus drag the blurred vision for a long time.

The course and severity of macular degeneration depends essentially on the form of the disease. The inherited form usually starts around adolescence, with a vision that is gradually blurred, reading and vision details become difficult, but the patient is not completely lost his eyesight and is completely autonomous. However, some activities require a strong visual ability can be performed (such as driving a car for example). In general, the hereditary macular degeneration does not impact on the health of the individual.

In one appearing later (to age 20), the evolution is slower but still remains more serious.

Hereditary macular degeneration involves the mutation of a specific gene, the transmission of the disease occurs on a (rarely dominant) autosomal recessive mode. Thus, in the case of a parent with the disease, with another parent who is not a carrier of the gene, the children will be carriers of the defective gene, but will not necessarily sick. Only children whose both parents are carriers of the gene, manifest the disease. Genetic testing will therefore be made in the siblings of a child with the disease.

Until today, there is still no treatment that can completely cure the disease. Some treatment methods will be chosen according to the form of the disease, to slow the progression. The support is based primarily on the prescription of optical aids (magnifiers, magnifying glasses) and adaptation methods to maintain autonomy and independence of the patient's daily activities.

Psychological support is generally useful for both the patient and the family. The disease impacts heavily on the professional life, social life and sporting life of the subject. For children with a special and appropriate guidance is often necessary.