The macula normally lies flat against the back of the eye, like film lining the back of a camera. If macular pucker is present, the macula becomes wrinkled. This condition is also known as cellophane maculopathy, or premacular fibrosis. Vision becomes blurred and distorted, just as one would expect a picture to appear from a camera with wrinkled film. Straight lines, like doorways or telephone poles, often appear wavy.
Vision loss can vary from barely noticeable to severe.
One or both eyes may be involved. For most people, vision remains stable and does not get progressively worse. A thin, transparent membrane grows over the macula. When the membrane stops growing, it contracts and shrinks, wrinkling the macula. Your ophthalmologist can detect macular pucker by examining your retina.