Myopic degeneration, a serious condition affecting those with high axial myopia, can lead to significant vision complications. Our expert retina specialists are here to provide personalized care to manage this condition and preserve your eyesight effectively.
Pathologic (degenerative) myopia, a retinal-degenerative disease that develops in eyes with high axial myopia, can lead to significant vision loss.It is caused by the eyeball stretching and elongating over time, which thins and damages the retina, choroid, and sclera.
Our eye doctor is dedicated to helping you understand this condition, its risks, and the advanced treatments available to protect your precious sight and manage complications effectively.
Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error where light focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This causes distant objects to appear blurry while close objects remain clear. In many cases, myopia is a stable condition that can be easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses once a person stops growing.
Unlike simple myopia, myopic degeneration (also called pathological or progressive myopia) is a condition where the eyeball may continue to elongate into early and mid-adulthood, although the rate usually slows after the teenage years. This constant stretching puts significant stress on the eye's structures, particularly the sclera and retina, causing them to thin and become damaged. This progressive damage is what leads to serious vision problems.
The abnormal elongation of the eye in myopic degeneration is the root cause of complications. When the eyeball grows too long, the retina is stretched thin, making it vulnerable to tears, holes, and detachment. This stretching can also lead to the development of abnormal blood vessels and other degenerative changes in the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for detailed vision.
Myopic degeneration affects people around the world, but rates vary widely by region.
Worldwide, pathologic myopia is seen in roughly 0.9% to 3% of the population. Both genetic background and environmental factors influence these numbers.
In the U.S., degenerative myopia affects roughly 0.3% to 0.5% of adults.
Certain East Asian countries, such as Hong Kong and China, report much higher rates. In these areas, myopic degeneration is a leading cause of legal blindness and is sometimes listed as the fourth most common cause in research studies.
The higher prevalence in some regions means a greater burden of vision loss, especially in populations where myopia is more common and progresses rapidly.
Our retina specialists are here to guide you through the challenges of myopic degeneration with personalized care and close monitoring. They know that no two cases are the same, and successful management means treating both the structural changes in the eye and the symptoms you experience.
Using advanced imaging tools and, when needed, precise surgical techniques, their goal is to protect as much of your vision as possible. While current treatments can’t stop the eye from continuing to grow, timely care can prevent further damage and help maintain your quality of life.
It’s also important to see treatments like anti-VEGF injections for CNV as just one part of a bigger care plan. Ongoing communication, custom treatment strategies, and a patient-centered approach are all key to getting the best long-term results.
Myopic degeneration develops slowly, mainly due to structural changes in the eye. Here's how it happens:
In myopic eyes, the eyeball is longer than normal. This stretches the retina across a larger area. In high or degenerative myopia, the stretching can become so extreme that the tissues can’t function properly.
As the eye stretches, the retina, responsible for turning light into images, gets thinner. The choroid, which feeds the retina, also thins out. This weakens retinal health and can lead to cell breakdown or atrophy.
The added strain on eye tissues can cause deformities, like lacquer cracks in the retina. These small breaks can allow abnormal blood vessels to form, increasing the risk of serious complications.
Have you or someone you care about experienced any of these signs? Even small changes in how you see the world merit a check-up with our retina specialists to rule out complications like myopic degeneration. Some common indicators include:
Difficulty in perceiving details in the center of your field of vision, making tasks like reading or driving challenging.
Straight lines might appear wavy or bent, which is a signal that the retina may be undergoing stretching or splitting.
Reduced clarity in central vision can make facial recognition less accurate.
Rarely, colors may appear less vibrant, usually if the macula is significantly affected.
A decline in the ability to distinguish between subtle differences in light and dark areas, which can impact overall visual quality.
The development of areas in the visual field where vision might be absent or distorted.
Genetics play a significant role in the development of high levels of myopia and myopic degeneration. If one or both of your parents are moderately or severely nearsighted, your chances of developing myopia are considerably higher. A family history of myopic degeneration is also a primary risk factor for developing the condition yourself.
Research has shown that myopic degeneration is more frequently seen in individuals of certain ethnic backgrounds. Individuals of East and Southeast Asian descent, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Singaporean, show the highest documented prevalence; evidence for other ethnicities is limited. Our eye doctor considers your background as part of a comprehensive risk assessment.
The single most significant risk factor is having a high degree of myopia. The more nearsighted you are, the more elongated your eyeball is, and therefore, the greater the strain on your retina and other ocular structures. A higher myopic spherical equivalent and greater axial length are key indicators our retina specialist will monitor closely.
While myopic degeneration can affect people at any age, degenerative changes can appear in the teens or 20s, but sight-threatening complications become more common in the 30s to 50s. Older age is a primary risk factor for the progression of the condition and the development of related complications. Other possible risk factors that have been suggested include being female and having a larger optic disc area.
Myopic degeneration mainly affects the retina, weakening it over time as the eye stretches and thins. This can lead to several serious complications:
Abnormal, delicate blood vessels can grow under the retina. These may leak fluid or blood, causing sudden vision loss, similar to wet macular degeneration. Lacquer cracks, caused by long-term retinal stretching, raise the risk of CNV.
Also called myopic macular degeneration, this is the gradual breakdown of the macula, the part of the retina responsible for central vision. It can cause lasting and severe vision loss.
Traction from the eye’s vitreous gel may cause the retina to split (schisis) or form a hole in the macula. This leads to a sharp drop in central vision and often needs surgery.
In highly myopic eyes, the retina is more fragile. Thinned areas can tear and sometimes lead to a full detachment, an emergency that requires immediate surgery to avoid permanent vision loss.
Don’t wait to address your vision concerns. Schedule an appointment with our experienced retina specialists today to evaluate your eye health and discuss personalized treatment options. Your vision matters, and we’re here to help you protect it!
This refers to thinning around the optic nerve. It can appear abnormal and may contribute to further issues if glaucoma develops.
Unlike regular myopia, which glasses or contacts can usually correct, degenerative myopia involves the eye continuing to grow. That growth stretches and weakens the retina, not just blurring vision but potentially causing irreversible damage.
Currently, there is no proven medical or surgical way to stop or reverse the eye’s elongation in degenerative myopia. Research into new treatments is ongoing, but for now, management focuses on treating complications and preserving vision. In short, care is aimed at fixing the damage, like stopping leaking blood vessels or repairing a detached retina. Here's what that typically involves:
People with high myopia should have yearly dilated retinal exams. If complications like CNV or retinal tears develop, more frequent visits may be needed for close monitoring. These include tests for vision, refraction, and retinal health. Regular exams help our retina specialists catch early signs of degeneration before serious problems develop.
When abnormal blood vessels form under the retina (CNV), anti-VEGF injections are the go-to treatment. They help slow down vessel growth and reduce fluid leakage. Many patients notice improvement after the first few injections, but ongoing treatment and regular monitoring are often required to maintain vision and control new blood vessel growth.
This treatment is rarely used today for myopic CNV, as it can cause permanent scarring and central vision loss, especially if the abnormal vessels are near the center of vision. Laser photocoagulation is now used only for extrafoveal lesions; anti-VEGF injections are first-line, with photodynamic therapy reserved for selected cases.
PDT involves a light-activated drug that targets and treats abnormal vessels more selectively. It helped reduce vision loss in early studies, though some patients still had leakage or worsening vision. While PDT is gentler on surrounding tissue, it doesn’t fully prevent complications.
For serious issues like retinal detachment, macular holes, or schisis, surgery may be necessary. Vitrectomy, which removes the eye’s vitreous gel, is often used to ease traction on the retina. In some cases, procedures like macular buckling are tried to improve outcomes. These surgeries aim to fix the damage, not stop the eye from growing longer.
If issues like CNV or retinal tears show up, follow-ups may happen more often. The goal is to track changes closely and act quickly when needed.
Managing myopic degeneration is difficult not just because of limited treatment options, but because of how the condition works. Unlike other types of myopia that stabilize when the eye stops growing, degenerative myopia keeps progressing. The eyeball continues to slowly elongate, preventing the retina and surrounding tissues from reaching a stable state. This ongoing stretch puts them at constant risk for tears, atrophy, and other damage.
Since the damage builds up over time, each visit to our retina specialist is a chance to catch problems early, before they lead to permanent vision loss. Regular, thorough eye exams are key to staying ahead of this long-term condition.
The most effective way to manage myopic degeneration is through consistent care, early detection, and tailored treatment. Here’s how you can stay proactive:
Routine check-ups help catch early changes, even if your vision seems stable. Degenerative shifts can be subtle but still lead to serious problems if missed.
Pay attention to vision changes, like distortion, color shifts, or trouble reading. These may be early signs that the retina is under strain.
While there’s no cure yet for stopping eye elongation, treatments are improving. New therapies and surgical options are being studied, and our retina specialist will keep you informed about anything that could help.
Myopic degeneration cannot be fully reversed or cured. However, treatments are available to manage complications and protect your vision. Procedures like anti-VEGF injections and surgery can address specific problems such as bleeding, abnormal blood vessels, or retinal tears, helping to maintain your sight and prevent further vision loss.
Myopic degeneration develops due to excessive lengthening of the eyeball. As the eye stretches, the tissues, especially the retina and its supportive layers (choroid and sclera), become thinner and more fragile. This thinning can cause permanent damage, leading to vision-threatening complications.
Vision with myopic degeneration can become distorted, blurry, or filled with dark or gray patches. People often report difficulty seeing faces clearly, reading text, or noticing straight lines appearing wavy or bent. These visual changes typically affect the central part of your vision, making detailed tasks more challenging.
Myopic degeneration typically progresses slowly over years. The rate varies widely between individuals; some may experience rapid changes, while others see only minimal worsening over decades. Regular eye exams and monitoring by a retina specialist are crucial for detecting and managing changes early.
Don’t wait to address your vision concerns. Schedule an appointment with our experienced retina specialists today to evaluate your eye health and discuss personalized treatment options. Your vision matters, and we’re here to help you protect it!
Understand myopic degeneration, its risks, and treatments. Find a top optometrist specializing in retina care near you to manage your vision health.
