EARLY CHANGES IN OCULAR HYPERTENSIVE EYES (AUTOMATED PERIMETRY AND RETINAL-NERVE FIBER LAYER)

This article presents the results of a study comparing retinal nerve f iber layer defects and automated perimetry (C-30-2 Humphrey program). The authors (E.A., I.P., M.L.C., L.E.P., and F.M.H.) selected normoten sive (control; 40 eyes) and ocular hypertensive eyes (173 eyes) at ran dom and carried out a cross-section study. A total of 41 (23.70%) visu al fields were found pathological and 115 eyes had normal perimetries (66.47%). A number of 17 visual fields were unreliable (9.83%). The re sults from the study of the retinal nerve fiber layer were: (1) 58 nor mal eyes; (2) 34 eyes with slits; and (3) 66 eyes with defects (26 wed ges, 36 diffuse atrophies, and 4 with mixed defects). The authors also observed 15 nonvalid photographs. Comparing both techniques, 42.19% o f the eyes with fiber defects had abnormal perimetries. When the nerve fiber layer defect was more advanced a larger percentage of pathologi cal visual fields was observed: (1) 36.36% among slit defects; (2) 66. 66% in wedge; (3) 54.55% in diffuse atrophies; and (4) 100% in the mix ed ones. Retinal nerve fiber layer examination was more sensitive for detecting very early glaucoma damage than automated perimetry. This te chnique has proved to be more efficient in discovering pathological fi elds than by using manual instruments.