DIAGNOSING: The traditional way to diagnose macular degeneration has been with the Amsler Grid Test. The Amsler Grid is a pattern of intersecting lines, identical to a piece of graph paper, with a black dot in the center. A person with normal vision can fixate on the dot while still seeing the grid patterns. A person with macular degeneration will see part of the grid missing, or some of the grid lines will appear to be bent or unevenly spaced.
A new test called prospective hyperacuity perimetry, or PHP, is able to detect the change from dry to wet AMD. The computerized test is more accurate because it has a higher sensitivity level. It will detect a change from dry macular degeneration to the wet form faster or at an earlier stage than traditional testing. PHP testing works by showing a series of linear dots in a pattern and it tests the entire 14 degrees of the macular fields. It tests small portions at a time in a prearranged sequence. The patient is asked to detect if any of the dots arranged in a line are out of space. The PHP test also incorporates some dot sequences that really are out of order, allowing it to test a patient's reliability in answering. A computer records the data and can detect even the smallest changes in a patient's macula over time.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Kent Ophthalmology, Inc.
(800) 263-2078
http://www.lasersurgeryforeyes.com
Notal Vision
info@notalvision.com
http://www.notalvision.com/eng/Products/Foresee.asp
