A Study on Amsler’s Grid in Acquired Macular Disorders

Aim: Prospective study on the Amsler Grid pattern of patients with various acquired macular disorders during the period of 3 months between Jan 2016 to March 2016.

Materials and Methods: Fifty seven eyes patients who attended the Retina clinic at tertiary eye hospital between Jan to March 2016 after satisfying the inclusion criteria. All patients underwent routine eye examination including visual acuity, slit lamp examination, 90D and indirect ophthalmoscopy and amsler grid.

Results: The mean age was 46.8 years. The maximum number of patients were in the 50-60 years group; 37 males and 13 females. Twenty two patients had central serous retinopathy, 24 patients had clinically significant macular oedema, 6 patients had age related macular degeneration, 4 patients had cystoid macular oedema and 1 had macular hole. The most common complaints of the patients during presentation were scotoma i.e. 24 patients presented with central scotoma, 4 patients presented with metamorphopsia, 14 patients presented with micropsia, 4 patients presented with macropsia and 12 patients presented with distortion of whole chart.

Summary: The amsler’s grid proved to be a useful tool to identify some of the macular diseases with subjective symptoms and a relatively normal visual acuity. An early diagnosis means early treatment, so it may help to limit or at least slow the vision loss. It is also a useful tool to follow up patients concurrently with treatment to see the subjective improvement in the visual disturbance.