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From the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of Health

Macular degeneration

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The macula is the part of the retina that distinguishes fine details at the center of the field of vision. Macular degeneration results from a partial breakdown of the insulating layer between the retina and the choroid layer of blood vessels behind the retina. Macular degeneration results in the loss of central vision only.

Update Date: 9/16/2011

Updated by: Franklin W. Lusby, MD, Ophthalmologist, Lusby Vision Institute, La Jolla, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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