This damage can result from certain eye diseases or medications that affect the retina.
Many people dont notice vision problems until the damage has already progressed.
The RPE helps process light, remove waste, and keep photoreceptor cells healthy.
Verywell / Michela Buttignol
This creates the distinct bulls-eye pattern that eye specialists look for during an exam.
The severity of vision problems depends on how much of the RPE is affected and what is causing it.
Instead, you’ll need an eye examination to determine that it’s there.
What Causes Bull’s Eye Maculopathy?
There can be many different causes of bulls-eye maculopathy, including the following conditions.
Others, like neurodegenerative disorders, affect the entirenervous system, including the retina.
Both medications are used to treatmalaria, but hydroxychloroquine is also prescribed for autoimmune diseases like lupus andrheumatoid arthritis.
Macular Telangiectasia
Maculartelangiectasia(MacTel) is an eye disease that affects the macula.
They may widen, leak fluid, or stop delivering enough nutrients to the retina.
Over time, this damages the macular tissue, causing it to thin and break down.
This breakdown leads to the bulls eye pattern seen in bulls-eye maculopathy.
Other symptoms of MacTel include:
Theres no cure for MacTel, but some treatments can help.
Regulareye check-upsare important to catch changes early.
AMD mostly affects older adults and leads to central vision loss.
In some cases, AMD causes RPE, leading to more severe central vision loss as the condition progresses.
The amount of vision loss depends on the cause.
Inherited retinal diseases and age-related macular degeneration often lead to gradual, lasting damage.
Most people with bulls-eye maculopathy lose some vision, butcomplete blindnessis rare.
Treatment options depend on the underlying cause.
Summary
Bulls-eye maculopathy happens when certain eye diseases or immune-suppressing drugs damage the retina.
An eye exam is the only way to detect it.
The damage looks like a bulls-eye target at the back of the eye.
It can develop at any age and cause vision loss, which is often permanent.
Some people lose only a little vision, while others lose much more.
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