Macular Degeneration (Age-Related Macular Degeneration, AMD)

Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, damages the macula, the small central part of the retina that gives you sharp, straight-ahead vision. It does not usually cause total blindness, but losing central vision can make it hard to read, drive, recognize faces, or do close work. There are two types. Dry AMD is far more common and progresses slowly. Wet AMD, caused by abnormal blood vessels leaking under the retina, can cause faster vision loss.

The National Eye Institute says the risk of AMD increases with age, and people 55 and older are more likely to have it. Family history, smoking, and being white also raise the risk. Early AMD often has no symptoms, and a warning sign of late AMD is straight lines that look wavy, which should prompt a prompt eye exam.

Macular disease matters in litigation because some drugs can cause retinal damage that looks like AMD. The best-known example is Elmiron, a medicine for interstitial cystitis, which was linked to a condition called pigmentary maculopathy. Patients who were told they had AMD or another inherited retinal disease sometimes learned later that the drug may have been the cause, which affected when their legal deadlines began. Eye injury claims have also been raised with other drugs, and courts require expert evidence separating drug injury from ordinary aging.

If you took a medication long term and were diagnosed with macular changes, ask your eye doctor for imaging records. See our explainers on multidistrict litigation and class actions versus mass torts, and the Elmiron entry.