Age-Related changes and/or diseases in the human retina

As people grow older, changes in the retina occur as part of the natural course of aging. Additional changes in the retina come from pathological causes, for which an ophthalmology specialist may be asked to evaluate and treat. Often patients will present to an eye doctor with complaints of worsening vision or visual distortions that cannot be accounted for by media opacity (cataract) or refractive error. A solid working knowledge of the normal age-related changes of the retina, as well as a firm understanding of clinically relevant age-related pathology, will help any eye physician manage the aging patient population. The aim of this study is not only to fully understand the senile involution of retinal structures that allows us to observe the wonders of the world, but also to keep these structures intact for as long as possible. An increasing number of elderly give a good cause for investigation of age-related changes and/or diseases in the human retina. This chapter describes the major age-related changes and diseases of the human retina in aged people. The first part of the chapter deals with common lesions in the senile retina, while the second part describes the major diseases of the senile retina.