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Pattern dystrophy is the umbrella term for a group of retinal conditions. All of them cause a build-up of waste material called lipofuscin, which causes damage to tissue in the eye.

Bull’s eye maculopathy describes a number of different conditions in which there is a ring of pale-looking damage around a darker area of the macula. The macula can often appear to have circular bands of different shades of pink and orange. It can appear at any age, and cause mild or more severe sight loss.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum or PXE (pronounced ‘pixie’) is a disease affecting many parts of the body. It causes calcium and other minerals to build up in various body tissues, especially those which are usually elastic, such as the skin on the neck, armpits and knees. Affected skin develops a yellow, waxy, ‘cobblestone’ appearance and forms loose folds.

Macular oedema (MO) can occur due to inflammation, retinal vein occlusion, surgery and other reasons. Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO) is a vision threatening complication of diabetes, to understand more about this specific type of macular oedema visit our Diabetic macular oedema webpage.

Central serous retinopathy (CSR) is also known as central serous chorioretinopathy or CSCR. In CSR the macula becomes separated from the eye tissue behind it, and fluid builds up in the space created.

Punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC) is a rare condition caused by inflammation at the back of the eye. It is more common in women, and in short-sighted people.

Visual hallucinations can occur as a result of sight loss.

Up to half of all people with macular degeneration are thought to experience visual hallucinations at some time.

Diagnosing macular disease

The optometrist at your local optician’s practice can test sight, prescribe glasses and check for eye disease.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a medication used to treat several conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, some skin conditions (especially photosensitive ones) and others that involve inflammation.

A regular eye examination is an important health check for everyone. You should have an eye test every two years or as often as recommended by your optician, even if you don’t have any problems with your sight.