What does macular degeneration look like?
In 1998, I was diagnosed with Stargardts Disease. Since then, as my vision degraded, I have been getting annual checkups. The first images of my retina were taken with a Nicon camera. (Do you remember film? So much has changed in 26 years.) Last week, with my phone, I took video of the appointment with my ophthalmologist. Above is an excerpt of the doctor explaining one set of electronic scan.*
For comparison, below are scans showing a healthy retina and mine in 1999 and 2021. The black areas are dead cells caused by the buildup of toxic byproducts.**
Comparing the 2021 scans to the scans in the video, there does not appear to be much difference. This was surprising to me. I feel my sight is much worse. Three weeks ago, I was at a park that I hadn’t visited since last spring. Looking out across the lake, I couldn’t make out what was on the other shore. Last year I could.
Knowing my annual eye appointment was near, I was determined to see the scans and compare them to earlier ones. The degeneration appears to be slow, but not in my comprehension of visual information. What will the next year bring?
*See also Diagnosis and Management of Stargardt Disease
**The buildup is caused by variants in the ABCA4 gene, which prevents the ABCA4 protein from removing these toxic byproducts. The ABCA4 protein is involved in transporting a retinal phospholipid compound that helps remove potentially toxic compounds from photoreceptor cells. –National Eye Institute
A link to my 2019 exam with my Columbia Presbyterian ophthalmologist in NYC .
