USAGE OF DIGITAL D CHART TEST AS A MODIFICATION OF AMSLER GRID IN OPHTHALMOLOGY AND OPTOMETRY.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Technology
• Visual Science

Background:

• Metamorphopsia is a key symptom in macular diseases.
• The Amsler grid is a common qualitative method for detecting metamorphopsia.
• Quantitative evaluation of metamorphopsia can be achieved with specialized software.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish M-score values in young healthy subjects without correction (natural), with cylindrical lenses (SL), and in patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).
• To compare the effectiveness of the D Chart software in quantifying metamorphopsia across different groups.

Main Methods:

• 33 participants were divided into two groups: 15 young healthy subjects and 18 patients with ARMD.
• The D Chart software on a touch-screen PC was used for quantitative assessment.
• M-score values were recorded for the right eye, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences were found between all tested conditions (p < 0.001 for natural vs. SL and SL vs. ARMD; p = 0.04 for natural vs. ARMD).
• M-score values varied significantly: natural (median 0), SL (median 25.2), and ARMD (median 0.8).

Conclusions:

• Both the Amsler grid and the D Chart software are suitable for detecting central visual field metamorphopsia.
• The D Chart offers quantitative evaluation and digital record-keeping, beneficial for patient follow-up.