What is retinoschisis?

Retinoschisis is an eye disease that affects retinal cells in a part of the eye called macula. The macula is located in the rear of the eye and is a central point in which visual signals are accepted and focused. Retinoschisis may occur as a hereditary disorder in children and elderly people who are primarily from aging. This condition rarely causes blindness, but often results in deteriorated vision. This is because the genetic mutation that causes a disorder is placed on the X chromosome. Males have one X chromosome and women have two. Therefore, the X chromosome mutation often affects only men because women still have a normal copy of the gene, masking the effects of mutation.

In retinoschisis related to age, the disease is not caused by genetic mutation. Instead, this is the result of retinal damage that occurs due to aging. This reason is women equally likely that men have retinoschisis related to age. Despite its name, this type of retinal diseaseIt only ties in the elderly, as it can develop in the third decade of life.

retinoschisis can affect both peripheral and central vision. Someone with a juvenile form is more likely to experience a lack of central vision, which is mild at the beginning, but can gradually get worse. The young adult with this disorder is likely to have a visual sharpness of approximately 20/70, but visual impairment as difficult as 20/200, defined as legal blindness, is possible.

In juvenile and age diseases, there are common symptoms of loss of vision, floats and photopsy or flashes of light. These symptoms occur because the retina is gradually distributed into two or more layers. In the case of adult disease, this is simply the result of eye tissues related to age. When it comes to a youthful form, the cause is a defect of protein that helps the retinal cells that hold each other. DeteriorationThe retina can also lead to complications: there is a risk that the retina is developing holes and the risk of retinal separation.

Medical treatment cannot prevent the deterioration of retinal layers, but surgery can help reduce the risk of retinal separation. Goggles or contact lenses can improve vision but cannot prevent further loss of sight. In the case of children with a juvenile form of illness, many doctors recommend that activities that carry the risk of head impact should be limited or eliminated. Children are usually carefully monitored for signs of visual impairment so that surgery can be performed immediately if necessary.