Last update:
29-Nov-2023

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive degenerative disease of the macula. It primarily affects the pigmented epithelium and, secondarily, the photoreceptors. It includes two clinical forms, the dry and the neovascular form, which in the final stage can cause partial or total (legal) blindness. The etiology is complex, multifactorial, and imperfectly known, with genetic susceptibility and clinical, environmental, and non-environmental factors all playing a role. In the course of the development of AMD in the external retina, four anatomical-pathological events occur: lipofuscinogenesis, drusogenesis, chronic inflammation, and neovascularization only in the neovascular form. The highest prevalence of AMD is seen in those ≥80 years of age, with a prevalence of 8.8% to 12.33% and a tendency to increase in age groups from 55 years and older. The treatment of the disease mainly concerns the neovascular form. Significant social and economic costs in healthcare systems are expected in the coming decades as life expectancy rises.

Key words: Age-related macular degeneration, Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Risk factors.