Stargardt disease: a pigment retinopathy

Stargardt disease is a pigmentary retinopathy disorder (or retinal dystrophy), also called maculopathy (or macular dystrophy). The Stargardt disease is not a form of retinitis pigmentosa.

It is defined as a genetic disease of the back of the eye (fundus) with a damaged macula, central zone of the macula in charge of detail vision and colour perception. It is associated to an abnormality of the ABCA4 gene.

In its most current form, the field of vision is not affected which means it does not impede movement; patients with this disease remain self-reliant and independent.