Discussion on Macula degeneration
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| Author |
Message |
    
Els Janssen
Member
Username: julesfav
Post Number: 20
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, Jul 26, 2007 - 11:52 am: |   |
I'm helping friend with a horse with macula degeneration. Does anyone have experience with this disease in horses? How about foodsupplements? Or anything to protect eyes from sunlight? Any ideas about helping with scares due to impaired vison?
Els |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 18940
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 30, 2007 - 8:33 am: | |
Hello Els,
Taken from the Eye Digest, "Age Related Macular degeneration (ARMD) is a disease that causes progressive damage to the macula. Macula is the central part of the retina that allows us to see fine details. When the macula degenerates, people experience blurring or darkness in the center of their vision. Macular degeneration leads to loss of central vision needed for activities requiring fine vision such as reading, driving and recognising faces. The words on a page may look blurred, or straight lines may look distorted. Peripheral vision is usually retained in macular degeneration therefore blindness (inability to see all light) does not typically occur even in advanced/end-stage macular degeneration. However the central vision loss impairs proficiency in performing most activities of daily living and can make it more difficult for people to live independent lives."
Despite reviewing 3 equine opthalmic texts and doing a search on much of the last 30 years of published veterinary literature I cannot find a previous description of macular degeneration in the horse and am wondering if you are confusing this with the term "macula" which has another meaning in veterinary opthamology: "a corneal opacity".
I would be interested in the exact description of the lesions (the changes the veterinarian saw looking at the macula) that lead to the diagnosis. In humans macular degeneration is often first diagnosed with vision tests and that there are several different types on macular degeneration with some of the lesions not associated with visions problems, some forms milder than others and some have recommended treatments. So the next step is to try and determine the type MD you have and that is done by describing the lesions.
DrO |
Els Janssen
Member
Username: julesfav
Post Number: 21
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 21, 2007 - 12:48 pm: | |
Dear Dr.O., The diagnosis was first made by the vet, who then sent the horse to Utrecht Veterinary University (we are in The Netherlands)where it was examined by Dr.W.R.Klein. His diagnosis: left pappila too pale, insufficient bloodvessels. Except at 12.00 hours, at that point too many vessels visable because of lack of pigment in the tapetum nigrum. The overall picture fits macula degenaration. Also loss of pigment on 8.00 - 11.00 hours in tapetum nigrum: the image of chorioretinitis. The right eye still has visus, but fundus image is not normal, shows same abnormalities as left eye, only to lesser degree.
I hope you can make sense of this and that above has not lost too much in translation. The owner also tells me the horse cannot stand very bright light and according to the vet the eye pressure is too high.
Regards, Els Janssen |
