Conditions involving the macula affect central vision.
Although there may be considerable sight loss, in some cases to levels where registration would be offered, total loss of sight is rare. Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy was described in 1909 by Karl Stargardt, a German ophthalmologist, from whom the disorder derives its name. It is the most frequently encountered juvenile onset form of the group of conditions known as 'macular dystrophies'. Where the eyes show yellow-white spots and flecks of various shapes, and when this feature is accompanied by minimal changes in the macula, Fundus Flavimaculatus will often be used to describe the condition. This term was first coined in 1963 by the ophthalmologist Franceschetti.