Macular (skin)
Adjective referring to macules which are circumscribed changes in the color of skin that are neither raised (elevated) nor depressed. Macules are never large. They are little spots or blemishes in the skin. They are entirely flat and can only be appreciated by visual inspection; they cannot be seen from the side.
Dermatologists call small flat skin spots on the skin macules, as opposed to papules which are small solid bumps that rise up above the surrounding skin and vesicles which are small blisters that contain fluid (before they burst).
The word macular comes from the Latin macula meaning a small spot or blemish.
Note — Macular vision refers to the macula lutea (yellow spot), or simply as the macula, a spot in the retina where vision is keenest. Macular degeneration pertains to the macula and involves partial or total loss of macular vision.
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- Macular cyst
A cyst caused by vitreous traction in the macula, the tiny oval area made up of millions of nerve cells located at the center of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision. The eye contains a jelly-like substance called the vitreous. Shrinking of the vitreous usually causes the cyst. As a person ages, the vitreous […]
- Macular degeneration
An eye disease that progressively destroys the macula, the central portion of the retina, impairing central vision. Macular degeneration rarely causes total blindness because only the center of vision is affected. However, injury to the macula in the center of the retina can impair the ability to see straight ahead clearly and sometimes make it […]
- Macular hole
A hole in the macula, the tiny oval area made up of millions of nerve cells located at the center of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision. The eye contains a jelly-like substance called the vitreous. Shrinking of the vitreous usually causes the hole. As a person ages, the vitreous becomes thicker and stringier […]
- Macular pucker
Scar tissue in the macula, the area of the retina responsible for sharp central vision. The scar can blur and distort vision and make straight lines appear wavy. Macular pucker is due most often to age-related shrinkage of the vitreous which pulls away from the retina, causing the retina to scar and wrinkle. Other causes […]
- Macular retinopathy
Any pathologic condition or disease of the macula, the small spot in the retina where vision is keenest. Also called maculopathy.