Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) refers to deterioration or breakdown in the central portion of retina known as macula that allows central vision. It allows people to see things directly ahead of them.

Dry AMD occurs when light-sensitive cells in the macula become dysfunctional and no longer respond. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak blood and fluid into it, thus further damaging its cells.

Amsler Grid

The Amsler grid is an effective diagnostic tool designed to monitor macular degeneration in patients. First introduced by Swiss ophthalmologist Otto Amsler in 1945, it consists of straight lines arranged around a circle with an central dot and is commonly used to detect distortions and wavy lines in central vision – telltale signs of macular degeneration. Home users can perform this test to detect early symptoms of macular degeneration as it remains one of the most popular diagnostic tools for it.

The macula, located at the center of your retina, is responsible for seeing straight and clear lines, colors, shapes and other visual characteristics clearly. Central vision is essential for reading, driving and recognising faces from across a room. As your macula begins to deteriorate, distortions or wavy lines appearing on an Amsler grid could indicate macular degeneration – this should be reported immediately to an ophthalmologist for medical assessment.

Ophthalmologists use various tests during a comprehensive eye exam to detect macular degeneration. They will dilate your pupil and conduct retina and macular exams; additionally they may perform optical coherence tomography (OCT) testing to detect changes to the macula.

Vitamin therapy and lifestyle interventions may help patients with dry macular degeneration to combat any changes to their vision quickly and safely. Any change should be reported immediately to an ophthalmologist as soon as it occurs, since dry forms of the disease can quickly transform into the more serious wet form. Patients should continue using Amsler grid every day to monitor central vision changes and contact an ophthalmologist if any appear – doing this may slow progression of wet macular degeneration and reduce risks for vision loss; an ophthalmologist will then recommend an individual treatment plan tailored specifically for you based on your personal needs; for instance some may need special injections in order to halt development of wet macular degeneration.

Angiography

Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD), commonly referred to as macular degeneration, causes gradual vision loss that’s necessary for reading, driving and seeing faces and colors clearly. Unfortunately it’s an invisible condition and often unnoticed until its effects reach an advanced stage, leading to noticeable distortion in straight ahead vision – although early detection and treatments are available that can slow its progress and preserve some or all of your central vision.

There are two forms of ARMD: Dry and Wet. Eighty-five to ninety percent of patients develop the dry form where deposits called drusen gradually accumulate under the retina. In 10-15 percent of cases, wet macular degeneration develops where abnormal blood vessels form and leak fluid into your retina resulting in either decreased central vision or complete loss.

Wet ARMD can be difficult to treat, yet significant progress has been made over the past decade in treating it effectively. By regularly administering injections of medication known as VEGF inhibitors like Bevacizumab, Ranibizumab and Avastin into your eye, abnormal blood vessels can be reduced significantly, potentially stabilizing or improving vision for an average of one or two years.

If you are at risk for ARMD, regular dilated eye exams are vitally important. Your physician can detect small changes in the retina that are important in preventing wet macular degeneration from progressing further. They will also be able to inform you if medium sized drusen present; these signs could signal dry form ARMD which could eventually progress into wet form macular degeneration later. Depending on your family history and symptoms experienced, medications may help halt or even reverse its progression.

OCT

Ophthalmic coherence tomography (OCT) scans provide doctors with cross-section images of retinal layers for medical analysis by ophthalmologists, who then manually classify these images to detect and diagnose diseases in retinal patients. While this process can be laborious and time-consuming, its results are critical in maintaining patients’ survival from retinal diseases. Therefore, our goal in this research is to create an automated system capable of detecting and classifying retinal illnesses based on OCT scans – it allows ophthalmologists to diagnose retinal illnesses before they lead to permanent blindness or irreversibility in time.

OCT can detect macular changes that are undetectable by indirect ophthalmoscopy. A recent study reviewed 364 eyes from 212 patients and OCT detected macular abnormalities in 13.3%. These abnormalities included age-related macular degeneration, epiretinal membrane abnormalities and intraretinal fluid. These results demonstrate the utility of OCT for assessing eyes of those over 60.

OCT and other imaging modalities like fluorescein angiography can provide important tools for diagnosing retinal diseases, as well as providing guidance in treatment decisions and prognosticating visual recovery. However, these tools still pose challenges when used to evaluate macular disease and measure patient outcomes. One such challenge involves distinguishing between neovascular AMD and non-neovascular AMD when fluid is present – making diagnosis challenging in such instances. Ascertaining the source of fluid can be challenging; however, with OCT scans and fluorescein angiography it may be possible to quickly establish its cause and thus help guide diagnosis and treatment decisions while improving patient outcomes.

Drusen Test

Macular degeneration is a disease that attacks the central part of your retina and can cause you to lose the ability to see things straight ahead. It occurs due to damage in an area called the macula that sends detailed images directly into the brain.

Macular degeneration is caused by ageing and the accumulation of protein deposits known as drusen under the retina, thinning it over time and potentially leading to new blood vessel growth beneath it. At early stages, people with macular degeneration may not notice any visual loss.

Large drusen can hinder the function of the optic nerve and lead to optic disc edema; this usually does not occur with smaller drusen; if someone with large drusen experiences vision loss it is important that symptoms are monitored closely.

People with large numbers of drusen are at increased risk for wet macular degeneration. This form of macular degeneration involves new blood vessels developing under the retina that may leak and damage macula tissue, leading to wet macular degeneration.

Wet macular degeneration is more serious than its dry counterpart and can result in rapid vision loss, making it the leading cause of blindness among people aged 60+. There are two types of wet macular degeneration: neovascular and non-neovascular.

At an eye examination, an eye doctor will have the individual look at a grid with a dot in its center, and cover one eye before looking back at it. The objective of this test is to detect any distortion in its lines side-to-side or top-to-bottom that might indicate macular degeneration or other conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts.

The drusen test isn’t used exclusively to assess macular degeneration, but it can serve as an early warning sign of this condition. It’s particularly useful for people who have a family history or high risk due to age who need an early indicator.