Macular degeneration case study

The management of macular degeneration in everyday practice is an essential part of an optometrist’s professional service. Here is a case that was referred to hospital for further assessment and management. Think about how you would manage this case in practice, what any hospital intervention might be, and what you think the visual prognosis might be.

Case study

A Caucasian 86-year-old woman attended for an eye examination. She was complaining of reduced vision and distortion in the left eye of six weeks’ duration. She had no history of ocular surgery, strabismus or amblyopia and had never needed to attend the HES. Her first spectacles were prescribed for reading at the age of 45 and distance glasses had been recommended five years later. She was a smoker and a diagnosed hypertensive. The hypertension was controlled with medication and regularly monitored by her GP. She had no allergies. She was a driver but had not felt safe driving since the onset of her visual symptoms.