AUTOMATED PERIMETRY IN PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the leading causes of bli ndness worldwide. Patients are usually asymptomatic until severe anato mic and functional damage occurs. Visual field examination is importan t in managing glaucoma patients, especially in the treatment and follo w-up of moderate to advanced cases. This study was designed to investi gate the patterns of automated visual field defects in POAG. We studie d 296 POAG patients from the Glaucoma Clinic of the National Taiwan Un iversity Hospital from January 1986 to June 1996. The perimetry was pe rformed using the Octopus program 32 or 38, or Humphrey program 30-2, and the results were analyzed according to the Glaucoma Hemifield Test design. The depth and frequency of locations of visual field defects were computed, and stratified by age and intraocular pressure (IOP). T he results suggested that the most frequently affected locations in PO AG were paracentral areas, while the deepest scotoma appeared in the u pper and lower nasal areas. Patients with IOP higher than 25 mmHg or o lder than 50 years had higher mean sensitivity losses in both superior and inferior hemifields. The results of this study revealed the patte rns of automated visual field defects in POAG may be a useful guide fo r the management of POAG patients.