I thought it was just a presbyopia, but what do you mean, a macular circle…

Dec 25, 2024

Photo source=DeepAI

Many people consider the symptoms of aging and blurred vision as a simple presbyopia. However, this may be an early symptom of not only presbyopia but also other ophthalmic diseases that can occur with age. In particular, early detection is important because macular perforation is a serious disease that causes visual field disorders when it progresses.

Macular perforation is a disease in which a hole is formed in the macular region located in the center of the retina of the eye. The macula is an important part of processing focused and precise visual information, and if there is a hole here, it cannot be corrected with glasses or magnifying glasses. There are few symptoms in the early stages, but progression can lead to visual impairments, such as blurred central vision or the appearance of a dented object.

Professor Han Jung-woo of Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital said "The main symptoms of macular fistula are decreased vision, curved vision, and dark spots in the center of vision." In particular, if the center does not appear to have a hole or the straight line is bent, it is important to suspect the macular circular hole and undergo a quick examination."

Macular holes are mainly caused by aging and can rarely occur as trauma. Patients with high myopia have a high risk of developing the retina due to the high burden on the retina. In addition, when macular holes occur in one eye, the probability of occurrence in the other eye is reported to be 3 to 22%. If not treated in time, it can lead to blindness.

Professor Han Jung-woo "Recently, the number of patients with macular degeneration is increasing, and since it is a problem that occurs in the macula, there are cases where it is mistaken for macular degeneration. However, since macular degeneration and macular perforation have different causes and treatments are different, it is important to receive professional treatment through accurate examination.

Macular holes can be identified through symptoms such as accidental detection during ophthalmic examination, decreased vision, and curved vision. At the time of diagnosis, fundus examination and retinal tomography (OCT) can confirm the macular change. The fundus examination is an examination that observes the vitreous body, retina, and optic nerve inside the eye, and retinal tomography can closely observe changes in the macula.

The treatment of macular perforation is mainly performed by surgical methods. By removing the layer of vitreous body and inner boundary membrane in the eyeball, 'glass ablation' that induces the closure of the circular hole by removing the traction that creates a hole in the macula, or 'gas filling' that helps close the hole by maintaining a prone position after surgery to put special gas into the eyeball and generating pressure in the macula direction.

Professor Han Jung-woo "Ehlobularis is difficult to prevent, but if detected early through regular ophthalmic examinations, treatment is possible. In particular, it is recommended that the elderly and those with high myopia undergo regular ophthalmic examinations. The treatment results are good in the initial detection, so it is best to carefully examine even small symptoms and receive regular checkups even if there are no symptoms, he advised.