Macular edema as the third cause of blindness in the world

Gazepov, Strahil and Mancova, Martina (2024) Macular edema as the third cause of blindness in the world. Knowledge – International Journal, 67 (4). pp. 619-622. ISSN 1857-923X

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Abstract

Macular edema is a swelling or thickening of the macula. Macular edema is not a disease, but a symptom
of a metabolic disease. It is a change in the area of the eye that is responsible for central, clear vision. There are
various causes of macular edema. It is often associated with diabetes, where damaged blood vessels (capillaries) due
to diabetes leak fluid, including a small amount of blood into the retina. In certain cases, they can also become
permeable to proteins. This causes swelling of the retina. Other causes are: senile macular degeneration, uveitis,
retinal vein occlusion, side effects of certain medications, genetic disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa. Symptoms
of macular edema most often include: blurred vision, changes in color vision, image distortion (straight lines
become distorted), and if it is a more advanced stage, there is also vision loss. Diagnosis is made through: visual
acuity testing, Amsler grid testing, wide pupil examination, optical coherence tomography, fundus fluorescein
angiography. Treatment is most often with an Anti-VEGF injection which aims to block the protein vascular
endothelial growth factor which is necessary for angiogenesis. For this purpose, this therapy is applied to prevent the
formation of new blood vessels, and thus to prevent the formation of fluid in the center of vision. Treatment can also
be with corticosteroids if the edema is caused by inflammation. Therapy also includes laser treatment to prevent
bleeding from the retinal capillaries. The goal is to stabilize vision. Vitrectomy is performed in order to retract the
vitreous body so that the macula can return to its normal position. Sometimes macular edema can cause an increase
in intraocular pressure which is also called glaucoma. In such a case, drops to reduce eye pressure are additionally
prescribed in combination with other therapy.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	Medical and Health Sciences > Clinical medicine
Divisions:	Faculty of Medical Science
Depositing User:	Strahil Gazepov
Date Deposited:	18 Dec 2024 09:38
Last Modified:	18 Dec 2024 09:38
URI:	https://eprints.ugd.edu.mk/id/eprint/35268

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