SHORT-WAVELENGTH AUTOMATED PERIMETRY WITHOUT LENS DENSITY TESTING

Three experiments determined whether an estimate of localized short-wa velength visual field loss could provide enough specificity and sensit ivity for glaucoma diagnosis, without correcting the fields for lens d ensity. We used 100 normal, 53 glaucoma suspect, and 95 glaucoma eyes (or a subset of these, where noted). The first two experiments showed that lens density has a diffuse effect on the visual field, which is m ore linear than the effect of age. The third experiment showed that, w ith the glaucoma hemifield test, comparable results were obtained for short-wavelength fields either corrected or uncorrected for lens densi ty (sensitivities of 81% and 76% and specificities of 82% and 90%, res pectively). We conclude that it is possible to eliminate the lens dens ity measurement with this approach, thereby reducing test time by 40 m inutes. This should improve substantially the clinical utility of shor t-wavelength automated perimetry.