macula
Central Retina
Plain-language definition
The small, central part of the retina responsible for sharp, straight-ahead vision used for reading and recognizing faces.
Where this term comes up
“Macular edema often presents with bent straight lines, blurred reading vision, or faded central detail.”
Condition · Macular Edema
“The center of the macula appears as a vivid red dot against a pale, swollen surrounding retina.”
Finding · Cherry-Red Spot
“This case report describes a rare presentation of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in an adult male who developed right fourth nerve palsy and acute maculopathy with sub-macular edema in the left eye.”
Publication · Hand Foot Mouth Disease Causing Fourth Nerve Palsy and Acute Maculopathy in Adult Male Patient
- Category
- Anatomy
- Also written as
- macular
Anatomy terms name the eye, orbit, optic nerve, retina, or visual pathway structures that may appear in an exam note or imaging report.
Related glossary terms
- OCT
Optical Coherence Tomography
- fundus
Back of the Eye
- ischemia
Reduced Blood Supply
- hemorrhage
Bleeding
- fluorescein
Yellow Eye Dye
- vitreous
Eye's Internal Gel
A note on medical context
A glossary definition can explain a word, but it cannot tell you whether a symptom or test result is serious. If this term came from an article, use the full article and your clinician's guidance for context.