Who was Marc Amsler?

By Nate Roybal, MD, PhD

1. Who invented the Amsler Grid?

Dr. Marc Amsler (1891-1961).

2. Where did Dr. Amsler practice?

Marc Amsler was a Swiss Ophthalmologist practicing ophthalmology at the Swiss Universities of Lausanne and Zurich.

3. Was Amsler the first to use a grid to evaluate macular function?

No. It has been proposed that Amsler took the idea from Dr. Edmond Landolt a Swiss ophthalmologist who used the grid in his perimeter. Although Amsler was not the first to use grids, he adapted the grid into an inexpensive tool that could be used at home and the office.

4. Is Amsler known for anything else?

Yes. Amsler’s sign = Hemorrhage caused by applanation tonometry and cataract surgery in Fuchs’ heterochromic iridocyclitis (FHI).

He was also an exponent of Gonin’s (his mentor) technique for retinal detachment repair. This was the first effective treatment for retinal detachment using accurate localization and drainage of fluid using cautery directly beneath the retinal break.

He also studied the role of aqueous humor in uveitis.

References

1. Marmor MF. A brief history of macular grids: from Thomas Reid to Edvard Munch and Marc Amsler. Survey of Ophthalmology 2000; 44:343-53.