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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Doctors will review your medical history and family history, and conduct a comprehensive eye exam to diagnose your condition. Doctors may conduct several tests to diagnose wet macular degeneration, including:
- A test for defects in your central vision. During an eye examination, your eye doctor may use an Amsler grid to test for defects in the center of your vision. Macular degeneration may cause the straight lines in the grid to appear faded, broken or distorted.
- An examination of the back of your eye. Your eye doctor will examine the back of your eye to look for fluid or blood. Your eye doctor will put eyedrops in your eyes to dilate your eyes and use a special optical device to examine the back of your eye.
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A fluorescein angiogram. During an angiogram of your eye, your doctor injects a colored dye into a vein in your arm. The dye travels to the blood vessels in your eye, highlights the blood vessels and will help identify abnormal sites in the blood vessel walls that may be leaking.
A special camera takes several pictures of the blood vessels in your eye as the dye travels through the blood vessels. The images will show if you have blood vessel or retinal abnormalities that may be associated with wet macular degeneration.
- An optical coherence tomography. This noninvasive imaging test displays detailed cross-sectional images of your eye. The test identifies retinal abnormalities, such as retina swelling or leaking blood vessels in your eye. It's often used to help monitor the response of the retina to macular degeneration treatments.
- Facts about age-related macular degeneration. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- What is age-related macular degeneration? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd.cfm. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- Arroyo JG. Age-related macular degeneration: Epidemiology, etiology, and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 29, 2012.
- Macular degeneration symptoms. American Academy of Ophthalmology http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-symptoms.cfm. Accessed Sept. 27, 2012.
- Yanoff M, ed., et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Edinburgh, U.K.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/212799885-2/0/1869/0.html. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- Who is at risk for macular degeneration? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-risk.cfm. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- Arroyo JG. Age-related macular degeneration: Treatment and prevention. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- Macular degeneration diagnosis. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-diagnosis.cfm. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- Macular degeneration treatment. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-treatment.cfm. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- Macular degeneration and low vision. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/amd-low-vision.cfm. Accessed Sept. 27, 2012.
- Low vision aids and low vision rehabilitation. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/low-vision-aids-rehabilitation.cfm. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 15, 2012.
- Hughes DF. Charles Bonnet syndrome: A literature review into diagnostic criteria, treatment and implications for nursing practice. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Accessed Sept. 28, 2012.
- Visudyne (prescribing information). Vancouver, Canada: QLT Inc.; 2010. http://www.visudyne.com/pub/patient/en-us/common/prescribing-information.aspx. Accessed Oct. 15, 2012.
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