OfAntonella Sparvoli
If you see distorted images in the center of your field of vision it is not a good sign. In fact, it may mean that the retina has undergone alterations due to some disease. A simple self-test can help figure this out
Seeing distorted images in the center of your field of vision is not a good sign. In fact, it could be a sign of problems that should not be underestimated regarding the macula, the central part of the retina.
The possible causes
What could cause the deformed vision?
«If the images appear distorted it means that the retina has undergone alterations due to some disease – explains Professor Francesco Bandello, director of the Ophthalmology Unit of the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University -. The conditions most often called into question are diabetic macular edema, edema secondary to retinal vein thrombosis and macular degeneration age-related in its exudative form.
«Diabetic macular edema it is a fearful complication of diabetic retinopathy and is caused by the collection of liquid in the macula, caused by the increased permeability of the small vessels. The consequence is the very gradual onset of a deformed and blurred vision. Retinal vein thrombosis consists of an occlusion of the veins that drain blood from the various retinal areas, an event that can lead to the sudden onset of deformed vision due to the accumulation of fluid (edema) upstream of the obstruction.
«Macular degeneration age-related is an increasingly frequent disease due to life extension. Its exudative or neovascular form is linked to the growth of new blood vessels inside the macula. From these newly formed and malformed vessels liquid comes out which accumulates inside the macula causing image distortion. All this happens very quickly, which is why it is easier for the patient to notice the problem.”
What are the suspicious signs
How can we trace the reasons?
«When a person has the feeling that the perception of images has changed it is useful to do a self-examination with the Amsler grid, a grid with vertical and horizontal lines. In practice you have to look at it, alternately covering one of the two eyes, and notice whether the lines appear straight or distorted. The next step is to have an eye exam as soon as possible.”
The therapies available
In the last decade, considerable progress has been made in the treatment of retinal diseases that can impair central vision. The credit goes largely to intravitreal therapies with drugs which help to counteract the chemical mediators responsible for edema (in cases of macular edema and retinal vein thrombosis) and the formation of new vessels in exudative macular degeneration.
«Drugs that can be used for injections intravitreal, i.e. inside the vitreous body, belong to two families: the anti-Vegf or inhibitors of the formation of new blood vessels, and cortisone. The former are used in the treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and macular edema secondary to thrombosis of the retinal vessels. While corticosteroids are used for the treatment of diabetic macular edema and that secondary to thrombosis of the retinal vessels” explains Bandello.
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