title: Scotoma and fixation patterns using scanning laser ophthalmoscope microperimetry in patients with macular dystrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We used scanning laser ophthalmoscope microperimetry to evaluate the retinal scotoma and the fixation points in the patients with macular dystrophy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 10 eyes of five patients with macular dystrophy (three patients with cone dystrophy and two patients with Stargardt disease). The mean patient age was 37 years (range, 13 to 64 years). An estimation of scotoma and fixation points on the retina was performed using scanning laser ophthalmoscope microperimetry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 10 eyes (100%) had one of two types of dense scotoma: type one was a dense ring scotoma (five eyes, 50%), and type two was a dense central scotoma (five eyes, 50%) that included the center of the fovea. In all eyes with a dense ring scotoma, the fixation points were stable and did not shift. In all eyes with a dense central scotoma, the fixation shifted. The logarithm of minimal angle of resolution of the visual acuity in the eyes with the dense central scotoma was significantly worse than that of eyes with the dense ring scotoma type (P =.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Scanning laser ophthalmoscope microperimetry findings demonstrate two types of dense scotoma (dense ring scotoma and dense central scotoma) in the patients with macular dystrophy. The two types of dense scotoma affect the shifting of the fixation points and the stability of fixation and may result in the difference in visual acuity in the patients with macular dystrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical College, Midorigaoka Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan. morinao@d5.dion.ne.jp
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishiko
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitaya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takamiya
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hikichi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019721:Ophthalmoscopes; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012607:Scotoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D058609:Visual Field Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014794:Visual Fields