Johann Friedrich Stargardt

Johann Friedrich Stargardt was a German ophthalmologist in the 19th century who studied eye diseases, particularly inherited conditions affecting vision. He is best known for describing Stargardt disease, a genetic disorder that causes progressive vision loss usually in young people. The disease affects the retina, the part of the eye responsible for sharp vision, leading to difficulty seeing clearly and eventually blindness if untreated. Stargardt’s work helped improve understanding and diagnosis of retinal diseases, making a lasting impact on eye medicine.