How Is Wet Macular Degeneration Diagnosed?

Wet macular degeneration is first suspected by your ophthalmologist based on symptoms you may describe. These symptoms include distorted vision, decreased vision, blurred vision, or loss of central vision.

Upon dilated examination, your eye care provider may note intra- or subretinal blood, retinal fluid, or a grayish-green membrane underneath the retina. These findings are all highly suggestive of wet macular degeneration.

Upon noting these abnormalities, your eye care provider, if not a retina specialist, will refer you to a retina specialist. Your retina specialist will then likely order a fluorescein angiogram.

A fluorescein angiogram, described in Question 52, is a dye test that helps diagnose vascular diseases in the retina, such as wet macular degeneration. The retina specialist will also likely order a test known as optical coherence tomography, or OCT.

The OCT, described in Question 54, gives a cross-sectional image of the retina, and it helps to show areas of retinal fluid that are typically noted in wet macular degeneration.

Comment:

I developed glaucoma a few years prior to AMD and went routinely for pressure checks. I understand that AMD and glaucoma are two separate diseases. I just happen to have both. During my routine eye exam, something alerted my doctor to refer me to a retina specialist. That is when I met Dr. Heier.