During the eye exam, the doctor looks for abnormalities in the macula. In addition, the appearance of the macula is important to sharp central vision. If the pigmentation is mottled or uneven, instead of its normal even reddish color, macular degeneration may be the cause.

 

As a part of the eye examination, the doctor may evaluate vision using a printed grid. If macular degeneration is present, the lines of the grid may seem faded, broken or distorted. By noting where the distortion occurs (usually near the center of the grid), the doctor can better determine the location and extent of macular damage.

 

A fluorescein angiography test can help determine the extent of damage from macular degeneration. First, the doctor injects fluorescein dye into a vein in the patient's arm. As the dye circulates through the bloodstream and eventually to the eye, a camera takes flash photographs of the eye every few seconds for several minutes. The photos help identify pigmentation changes, blood circulation patterns and abnormal blood vessels.

 

OCT is an imaging method that provides detailed, cross-section images of the retina and its underlying layers. OCT is useful for checking retinal thickness and thinness because it is capable of clearly displaying well-defined tissue boundaries in high resolution. Bright colors are added to the image to highlight specific areas of the retina and to determine how much light they reflect.