What is geographic atrophy of the macula?

Geographic atrophy is a chronic progressive degeneration of the macula and can be seen as part of late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The condition leads to central scotomas and permanent loss of visual acuity.

What is a macular Disciform scar?

Disciform scars form the stage of exudative AMD in which the retinal tissue is replaced by scar tissue (usually vascular). Disciform scars develop with regression of subretinal hemorrhages and retinal edema and hyperplasic elements of the RPE.

Is dry AMD the same as geographic atrophy?

Geographic atrophy (GA) is considered the late stage of the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)(1). GA is less common than neovascular AMD and it is responsible for 10-20% of cases of legal blindness in this condition(2,3,4), affecting more than 5 million people wordwilde(5).

Is macular atrophy the same as geographic atrophy?

Learn about the advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration, called geographic atrophy. Some patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will develop geographic atrophy (GA), which refers to regions of the retina where cells waste away and die (atrophy).

How quickly does geographic atrophy progress?

Overall, GA progression rates reported in the literature for total study populations range from 0.53 to 2.6 mm2/year (median, ∼1.78 mm2/year), assessed primarily by color fundus photography or fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging.

What is Amsler grid chart?

The Amsler Grid is a square-shaped grid used to detect or monitor metamorphopsia or scotoma involving the central visual field in various disorders of the macula and optic nerve head.

What is drusen made of?

Drusen are about the width of a pinhead and are composed of a mixture of proteins and lipids (naturally occurring molecules that include fats). They often cause no symptoms, but can occasionally cause visual distortion if they are very large and near the center of the retina.

What causes a Disciform scar?

A subretinal scar, most often located in the macular area. It results from the haemorrhages that sometimes follow choroidal neovascularization (consisting of fibrovascular tissue) in the exudative type of age-related macular degeneration. It causes irreparable damage to vision.

Can you have both dry and wet macular degeneration in the same eye?

There are two forms of AMD: dry and wet. It is possible for a person to suffer from both forms and for the disease to progress slowly or rapidly.

Why is geographic atrophy called?

Some patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will develop geographic atrophy (GA), which refers to regions of the retina where cells waste away and die (atrophy). Sometimes these regions of atrophy look like a map to the doctor who is examining the retina, hence the term geographic atrophy.

Is geographic atrophy a rare disease?

More than 5 million people worldwide have geographic atrophy, 2 including nearly 1 million people in the U.S. In developed nations, approximately 1 in 29 people over age 75 have geographic atrophy, 3,4,5 which increases to nearly 1 in 4 people over age 90.