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Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Current Concepts of Pathogenesis and Risk Factors

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Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Radiat Oncol))

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Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is now the most common cause of registrable blindness in Western nations for persons above 50 years of age (Kahn et al. 1973; Wormald 1995; Bird 1996; Holz, Pauleikhoff 1997). While early manifestations with funduscopically visible focal drusen are usually associated with only minor visual complaints, late stages of the disease with choroidal neovascularization and/or geographic atrophy result in severe visual loss. The pathogenesis of age-related macular disease is incompletely understood. Several lines of evidence indicate that ARMD represents a complex disease with various genetic and environmental factors. Age is by far the strongest risk factor. On the cellular and molecular levels, various changes due to aging have been identified in the outer retina. It is thought that changes in the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch’s membrane play a key role in the pathogenetic cascade.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Florian Schütt MD & Frank G. Holz MD

Authors
  1. Florian Schütt MD
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  2. Frank G. Holz MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Martinistr.52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Winfried E. Alberti MD (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Martinistr.52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Gisbert Richard MD (Professor) (Professor)

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    Robert H. Sagerman MD, FACR (Professor) (Professor)

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© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Schütt, F., Holz, F.G. (2001). Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Current Concepts of Pathogenesis and Risk Factors. In: Alberti, W.E., Richard, G., Sagerman, R.H. (eds) Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56439-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56439-0_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-63071-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-56439-0

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