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Will you go blind with Stargardt disease?
The condition can be slowly degenerative and progressive, but it is very uncommon for someone with Stargardt Disease to become completely blind. The rate of progression and degree of visual loss can vary from person to person and even among affected members of the same family.
Is Stargardt disease curable?
There is Currently No Cure for Stargardt Disease Stargardt disease affects the eye’s retina, which is a light-sensitive layer of tissue lining the interior of the back of the eye. The retinal tissue absorbs light, which carries on it visual information about the outside world.
Which 2 genes can be mutated in Stargardt’s disease patients?
In most cases, Stargardt macular degeneration is caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene. Less often, mutations in the ELOVL4 gene cause this condition. The ABCA4 and ELOVL4 genes provide instructions for making proteins that are found in light-sensing (photoreceptor) cells in the retina .
How is Stargardt disease diagnosed?
Stargardt’s can be diagnosed when an eye doctor sees elongated white, branching flecks in the retina during a dilated eye exam. A fluorescein angiogram may be performed to confirm the diagnosis. In this test, a dye (fluorescein) is injected into the arm and photos are taken of the retina.
What is Stargardt disease of the eye?
Stargardt disease is a rare genetic eye disease that happens when fatty material builds up on the macula — the small part of the retina needed for sharp, central vision. Vision loss usually starts in childhood — but some people with Stargardt disease don’t start to lose their vision until they’re adults.
Is Stargardt disease dominant or recessive?
Stargardt disease. Stargardt disease is the most common inherited single gene retinal disease. It usually has an autosomal recessive inheritance caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene. Rarely it has an autosomal dominant inheritance due to defects with ELOVL4 or PROM1 genes.
Is there a new treatment for Stargardt disease?
In a recent study, scientists tested a new way to treat Stargardt disease in mice using gene therapy — which could lead to new treatment options for people with Stargardt disease. NEI is also studying whether a medicine called metformin can help slow vision loss in people with Stargardt disease.
What are the symptoms of Stargardt disease?
What are the symptoms of Stargardt disease? The most common symptom of Stargardt disease is a slow loss of central vision in both eyes. Some people lose their central vision more quickly than others.