The visual potential of patients with macular diseases involving the fovea has not been adequately documented. We evaluated 55 eyes of patients having discrete macular lesions and related best visual acuity to retinal distance from the fovea. Best visual acuity in the parafoveal area extending from the center of the fovea to a distance of 0.25 disk diameters (DD) away was 20/25 to 20/50; from 0.25 to 0.5 DD, 20/50 to 20/100; from 0.5 to 0.75 DD, 20/100 to 20/200; from 0.75 to 1.0 DD, 20/200 to 20/400; and greater than 1.0 DD, counting fingers. The clinical importance of the findings as they relate to the rationale of laser treatment of macular lesions and to the evaluation of the low-vision is discussed.