Pathogenesis and Management of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) was responsible for 8.7% of all blindness worldwide in 2007, and this figure is expected to double by 2020 as a result of population ageing. Macular degeneration is defined by the NHS as a painless disease that leads to loss of central vision and is an umbrella term that denotes many eye-disorders which lead to loss of detailed vision, the most common being AMD. AMD is the most common cause of severe vision loss in industrialised countries, with more adult Americans being affected by AMD than cataracts and glaucoma combined. This article will outline the pathogenesis and discuss the clinical management of this common and serious ophthalmology condition.