Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
An ophthalmic (eye) condition characterized by progressive destruction and dysfunction of the central retina (macula).

Alternative Treatment
Treatment other than the standard or most common treatment of a condition.

Anesthesia
[Ann-es-Thee-zee-ah]
Absence of normal sensation, usually a drug-induced decreased sensitivity to pain.

Atrophy
[AT-Troh-Fee]
Thinning of the retina as seen with aging.

Bias
[By-ass]
Personal preference not based on facts.

Brachytherapy
[Bray-key-THER-uh-pee]
Implanted radiation. Radiation treatment delivered by a small plaque sewn to the outside of the eye (sclera).

Chemotherapy
[KEY-mo-THER-uh-pee]
The use of drugs to stop growth.

Choroid
[KO-royd]
Layer of normal blood vessels [vascular-layer] of the wall of the eye. The choroid is located between the retina and the sclera.

Choroidal Neovascularization
[KO-royd-Uhl NEE-Oh-Vask-Ule-r-i-Zay-Shun]
New "leaky" blood vessels which grow from the choroid beneath the retina.

Clinical Trial
The systematic investigation of the effects of specific treatments according to a formal research plan.

Complication
Undesirable effect of a disease or its treatment that can change the outcome and may require additional treatment.

Cornea
[KOR-nee-uh]
The clear outer portion of the eye which covers the iris and admits light through the pupil.

Depth Perception
The ability to recognize 3-dimensional objects and their relative positions in space.

Diagnosis
[dye-egg-NO-sis]
The name of a disease or condition.

Drusen
[Drew-Zen]
Yellow deposits in the retina which form as a result of accumulated retinal waste.

Diode
[Dye-Ode]
A type of laser used for treatment of wet macular degeneration.

Ultrasonography (Ultrasound)
[UL-trah-SO-nah-gra-fee]
The use of sound waves to examine the eye and orbit. Ultrasonography can be used to measure the size of tumors, evaluate retinal detachments, and "look" behind cataracts.

Fluorescein Angiography
[FLOR-uh-seen an-jee-OG-ruh-fee]
A test where a vegetable dye is injected into a vein, allowed to circulate within the eye while photographs of the intraocular circulation are recorded.

Fovea
[Foh-Vee-Uh]
The functional center of the macula which contains the highest density of cones (color sensors).

Hemorrhage
[HEM-or-ridge]
Loss of blood, either inside or outside the body. Hemorrhages can occur beneath the retina, and break into the vitreous cavity with some forms of macular degeneration.

IRB
The Institutional Review Board typically reviews, approves or denies the right to conduct a scientific study. IRB’s assure that such studies are ethically and scientifically proper.

Informed Consent
The process where a patient learns about all the aspects of a medical treatment or clinical trial before agreeing to participate. This process should include a detailed explanation of the potential risks and benefits of all standard medical procedures and treatments.

Irradiate
[ear-Ray-dee-ate]
To expose part of the body to diagnostic or therapeutic radiation.

Lens
A clear structure behind the pupil, which helps to focus light onto the retina.

Laser
[LAY-zur]
A very narrow, high intensity, light, which can burn tissue, activate light-sensitive dyes, or join structures together. PDT lasers are used at an intensity which (when used by itself) does not induce a retinal burn.

MPS (The Macular Photocoagulation Study)
A government-sponsored prospective randomized trial evaluations laser therapy for AMD (age-related macular degeneration) associated with subretinal neovascularization.

Neovascularization
[Nee-OH-VasK-U-LaR-Eye-Zay-SHun]
A growth of new blood vessels.

Ocular
[Ock-yu-lar]
Of or pertaining to the eye.

Ophthalmologist
[off-thal-mol-loh-gist]
A eye-care specialist who went to medical school followed by 3 to 4 years of additional training in the medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases.

Optometrist
[op-tom-meh-trist]
A eye-care specialist who went to optometry for 4 years of training in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases.

Optic Nerve
[OP-tick nurv]
The nerve that sends vision-messages between the brain and the eye.

Palladium-103 Seeds
[pah-lay-dee-um-103 seeds]
Rice-sized radioactive sources which can glued within gold eye-plaques for use in treatment of macular degeneration.

Photocoagulation
[FO-TOE-KO-ah-gu-LAY-shun]
The use of intense light (usually laser-beams) to destroy eye tissues, abnormal blood vessels, and/or tumors.

Photodynamic Therapy
[Foh-Toe-Die-Nam-ick THER-uh-Pee]
The use of light-activated dye together with a light-laser treatment to close blood vessels.

Pigmentation
[PIG-men-tay-shun]
The color of the body.

Pigmented Cells
[PIG-men-ted sells]
Cells, which are colored and usually contain the natural pigment of the skin or eye, called melanin.

Plaque
[plak]
A bowl-shaped device, which is, or can be made radioactive by adding seeds. Ophthalmic plaques are typically sewn to the wall of the eye in order to treat intraocular tumors.

Porphyrin
[Pore-Fe-Rin]
A dye that can be activated by light to cause local destruction of tissue

Proton Beam Radiation
[pro-than beem ray-dee-ay-shun]
Radiation made up of protons, which come out of a machine, travel through the eye into the macula.

Pupil
[pyoo-pill]
The round opening in the iris which lets light into the eye and onto the retina.

Ionizing Radiation
[Eye-On-Eye-Zing Ray-dee-Ay-shun]
Energy waves which can be used to diagnose (e.g. chest x-rays) or treat diseases (e.g. cancers).

Radiation Retinopathy
[ray-dee-Ay-shun RET-in-opp-OH-thee]
When large amounts of radiation cause vascular changes in the normal retina often resulting in decreased vision.

Radiation Therapist
[ray-dee-AY-shun THER-AH-Pist]
A physician with special training in the use of radiation to treat diseases.

Radiation Therapy
[ray-dee-AY-shun THER-ah-pee]
The use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer and certain benign diseases.

Radioactive Plaque
[ray-dee-OH-ack-tiv plak]
A bowl-shaped radiation device which can be used to deliver radiation to the eye.

Randomization
[RAN-dum-uh-ZAY-shun]
The process of assigning patients to two or more treatment options, where each patient has an equal chance of receiving each treatment.

Retina
[REH-tim-uh]
The nerve tissue which lines the inside of the eye and acts like the film inside a camera.

Retinal Pigment Epithelial Detachment
[REH-tin-uhl Pig-Ment E-PiTH-EEL-E-L Dee-Tach-Ment]
A blister of the retina which forms as the detached retina moves away from the choroidal blood vessel layer found beneath it.

Risks
The possibility of loss or injury resulting from a condition or treatment.

Sclera
[SKLEHR-uh]
The white outer wall of the eye.

Side Effect
An unwanted effect of treatment.

Standard Treatment
The accepted and recognized forms of therapy used by most physicians treating a particular disease.

Stereopsis
[Stay-re-op-sis]
The ability to see objects with depth perception from both eyes.

Tumor
[TOO-mur]
A mass of tissue characterized by thickness or volume

Vascular
[VAS-ku-lar]
Containing blood vessels.

Visual Field
[VIZ-yoo-ul FE-eld]
The complete area of vision that includes what is seen above, below, to the sides and in the center.

Click Here to Support 
The EyeCare Foundation to Find a Cure

Please report any problems to:
webmaster@macular-degeneration.org While this WWW site is intended to provide general information as a public service, the content is not intended to represent official policies and practices of the institution or to substitute for health care provided by a clinician.