Can you tell me the difference between macular dystrophy and macular degeneration?

Genes vs age: Dystrophy is malfunction due to a genetic problem degeneration is usually age related. Macular dystrophies are rare such as stargadt disease, best's disease these are genetic in nature and are seen in young people. Macular degeneration is thought to be caused by oxidative damage in older people.

Macular degeneration: A dystrophy is something a person is born with. A degeneration is an acquired condition that occurs as a person ages. Macular degeneration is a disease of older people, whereby the macula suffers progressive damage and the patient suffers visual loss, either slowly or rapidly. A macular dystrophy usually shows up earlier in life, with variable visual consequences, depending on the disorder.

Unrelated diagnoses: Hereditary macular dystrophies, characterized by bilateral symmetrical macular pigmentary changes, are far less likely to result in vision loss by macular atrophy and/or edema from abnormal vascular leakage than age-related macular degeneration (which also has a genetic component).