Retinopathy
Retinopathy is a general term used to refer to any of several disorders of the retina of the eye, many of which can lead to reduced quality of vision or, in extreme cases, complete loss of vision i.e. blindness.
Retinopathy may be due to damage to the blood
vessels of the retina such as may be caused by complications of:
- Diabetes (in which case the condition may be called diabetic retinopathy),
- High blood pressure, which is also called hypertension, or
- AIDS (in which case the condition may be called AIDS retinopathy).
Depending on the circumstances, retinopathy may be treated using tiny beams of a particular type of laser to destroy damaged parts of the retina, preventing growth of new abnormal blood vessels, and hence any further damage to vision.
More about Ophthalmology:
This section includes short definitions
of many diseases, disorders, and conditions of the eyes and visual system.
For definitions of other terms in this category, choose from the list
to the left (but note that this is not a complete/exhaustive list).
Other related pages include
- A diagram of the eye
- Definitions and descriptions of the parts of the eye
- A concise description of the human retina
- Definitions of parts of the retina
- Clinical and surgical procedures re. eyes and human visual system
For further information see also our pages of books about ophthalmology.
The following books may also be of interest:
