A common term for myopia is nearsightedness. Nearsightedness, or myopia, occurs when light refracted by the lens does not reach the back of the retina. This causes objects in the distance to appear fuzzy or blurry. There are several reasons that light waves may fall short of the retina and cause myopia, which by itself is very common and easily corrected. When the shape of the eyeball is elongated, rather than round, however, myopia is pathological, or degenerative.

A person who has pathological myopia has an elongated eyeball that is wider at the back than it is at the front. The irregular shape of the eyeball causes not only nearsightedness, but also causes the retina to thin and stretch. The retina becomes susceptible to tears and detachment, and the photoreceptors begin to breakdown. The resulting vision loss is similar to that occurring with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Pathological myopia is often diagnosed in early adolescence. It is an inherited genetic disease and is more common in people of Japanese, Chinese, middle-eastern, and Jewish descent. At first, people with pathological myopia report vision loss, light sensitivity, and sometimes headaches. Because of weakness in the sclera, the retina will continue to be stretched throughout one’s lifetime. Without treatment, blindness can occur during later years.

Frequent ophthalmologic care is important for individuals with pathological myopia. Routine eye exams will detect vision changes, so that they can be corrected. Any complications that occur will be monitored or repaired with the appropriate surgery. Surgical procedures for the weak scleral wall are not common and continue to be researched.