Visual field screening and the development of a new screening program.

Abstract

The diagnosis of chronic open-angle glaucoma requires diligent and careful screening. Intraocular pressure measures and disc evaluations, when used in isolation, give unacceptably high numbers of false positives and false negatives, while full visual field analysis, as conducted with kinetic or full threshold static perimetry, takes too long for routine use. Screening of the visual field may offer a viable alternative. The effect of changing certain parameters of a visual field screening test are evaluated. These include the location of the stimuli, the number of stimuli and their suprathreshold increment. The results of an optimized visual field screening test are then evaluated with respect to the theoretical predictions. The results indicate that high levels of sensitivity and specificity can be achieved with visual field screening tests which are short enough to be included as part of the routine optometric examination.