Age related macular degeneration 1 Flashcards
Role of cornea and lens?
Allows the image to be focused onto the retina at the back of the eye
Leading cause of blindness in the developing world?
Lens becoming a cateract
What is the vitreous humour?
“jelly” in the middle of the eye
What is the foveas centralis?
Centre of the retina, where you have your sharpest vision
What is the first cell that light gives info to after being focused onto the retina?
photoreceptor layer at the back
Photoreceptors?
Rods and cones
What is a photochemical reaction?
Changing light energy into a chemical response
What transmits the chemical response from photoreceptors?
Bipolar cells, then onto ganglion cells
Where do ganglion cells go?
Through the retina, through the optic nerve and into the brain
Age related macular degeneration effect on vision?
central vision loss
Retinitis pigmentosa effect on vision?
Only see the centre–> peripheral vision loss
Acquired trauma effect on vision?
White spots in vision
Leading cause of moderate and severe vision impairment between 50 and 60 yrs old?
Undercorrected refractive error (no glasses)
Most common surgery in the UK?
Cataract surgery
Leading cause of vision loss in the UK?
Macular degeneration
Different kinds of risk factors for AMD?
Demographic, environmental and genetic
AMD risk factors?
Age: Odds ratio [OR] of 4.2 per decade
Smoking: OR for smokers: 3.11, OR for former smokers: 1.34
Diet and Exercise
Heritability of AMD?
between 45% and 70%
What is visible in an eye w/ early AMD?
Yellow spots (lipid deposits), hypopigmented areas (lighter areas)
What causes hypopigmented areas inn AMD?
Scarring of the retina
Acute change in AMD?
Bleeding within/under the retina
Difference between bleeding within/under?
Darker/more purple is under the retina, redder is in the retina
What are exudates?
Lipid deposits
Advanced AMD?
Scarring in the centre of vision as well as peripheral
What does optical coherence tomography (OCT) allow?
Assessment of the back of the eye at a microscopic level
Cross section of the retina
What is the base of the retina called?
Retinal pigment epithelium
Cause of AMD?
Slow and persistent accumulation of oxidative products and lipids
What is microangiopathy?
pattern of damage that can occur in the smallest blood vessels
Causes of lipid build up in the retina?
Microangiopathy, oxidative stress, parainflammation, lipid build up in Bruch’s membrane
Where is Bruch’s membrane?
between the retina and the choroid.
What are druzen?
Pockets of lipid
What can druzen do?
Impact transmission of info, lead to disease
