Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Author Spotlight: Assessment of Visual Acuity in Central Vision Loss Through Motion-Based Peripheral Vision Testing
Published on: February 23, 2024
[A young patient with full visual acuity, small visual field defects, and normal fluorescence angiogram]
S Serafini1, C P Lohmann2, M Ulbig2
1Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, München, Deutschland. simone.serafini@mri.tum.de.
A 28-year-old female patient came to our clinic complaining of small central visual field defects in both eyes, without any impairments of visual acuity. She reported recent flu-like symptoms and work-related stress associated with high caffeine intake. Dark reddish cloverleaf-shaped lesions were noted in the macular region with red-free fundoscopy, and alterations of the external retinal layers were observed in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The visual field test (Octopus, program 32) revealed small central scotoma on both eyes. The fluorescein angiograms were normal. A suspected diagnosis of acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMNR) was made and the patient was scheduled for follow-up 4 weeks later. The follow-up examination showed persisting central scotoma as well as persistence of the lesions in the external retinal layers in OCT. The best-corrected visual acuity was still 20/20. In OCT angiography (OCT-A), a reduced correlation signal and therefore perfusion was detected in the outer retinal capillary plexus within the area of the fundoscopic macular lesions. Multimodal imaging, including SD-OCT and A‑OCT, plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis of acute macular neuroretinopathy. Even though no serious impairments of visual acuity are reported, patients should be informed about the possibility of permanent central scotoma.
A 28-year-old female patient came to our clinic complaining of small central visual field defects in both eyes, without any impairments of visual acuity. She reported recent flu-like symptoms and work-related stress associated with high caffeine intake. Dark reddish cloverleaf-shaped lesions were noted in the macular region with red-free fundoscopy, and alterations of the external retinal layers were observed in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The visual field test (Octopus, program 32) revealed small central scotoma on both eyes. The fluorescein angiograms were normal. A suspected diagnosis of acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMNR) was made and the patient was scheduled for follow-up 4 weeks later. The follow-up examination showed persisting central scotoma as well as persistence of the lesions in the external retinal layers in OCT. The best-corrected visual acuity was still 20/20. In OCT angiography (OCT-A), a reduced correlation signal and therefore perfusion was detected in the outer retinal capillary plexus within the area of the fundoscopic macular lesions. Multimodal imaging, including SD-OCT and A‑OCT, plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis of acute macular neuroretinopathy. Even though no serious impairments of visual acuity are reported, patients should be informed about the possibility of permanent central scotoma.
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