Sighting dominance in patients with macular disease

PURPOSE: To study sighting dominance by comparing macular disease patients undergoing surgical treatment with controls. METHODS: We studied visual acuity and sighting dominance in 92 macular disease patients, 27 of whom were assessed for both outcomes. We also studied visual acuity and sighting dominance in 412 controls. Sighting dominance was evaluated using the hole-in-card test. RESULTS: Among the controls, 70% showed right sighting dominance, and 30%, left sighting dominance. On the other hand, in patients with macular disease, right sighting dominance was demonstrated in 51%, and left in 49%; that is, 24% showed sighting dominance of the affected eye and 76%, of the fellow eye. During follow-up, sighting dominance of three of the 27 macular disease patients shifted from the affected eye to the fellow eye, which showed improvement in visual acuity. CONCLUSION: This study raises the possibility of sighting dominance shifting in patients with macular disease. There were differences among cases in the timing of the shift in sighting dominance, indicating that visual acuity may not be the only factor influencing sighting dominance. Further study is needed to confirm the factors contributing to sighting dominance.