Incidence and prevalence of short wavelength automated perimetry deficits in ocular hypertensive patients

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence and incidence of short wavelength auto mated perimetry deficits in comparison to standard automated perimetry defi cits in patients with ocular hypertension, METHODS: Five hundred eyes of 250 patients with ocular hypertension were re cruited into a prospective, longitudinal study and tested with standard aut omated perimetry and short wavelength automated perimetry annually for 5 ye ars. Both eyes of 60 normal subjects, 21 to 85 years of: age, were used to establish normative data for short wavelength automated perimetry and stand ard automated perimetry, This allowed independent evaluation of left and ri ght eyes of patients. All normal data were corrected for age, and short wav elength automated perimetry results were corrected for lens transmission. T he lowest fifth and first percentiles for the normal observers were derived for the 10 glaucoma hemifield test zones for short wavelength automated pe rimetry and standard automated perimetry, Visual fields were considered out side normal limits if two glaucoma hemifield test zones were below the norm al fifth percentile or one glaucoma hemifield test zone was below the norma l first percentile. RESULTS: Baseline prevalence of short wavelength automated perimetry and st andard automated perimetry deficits were 9.4% and 1.4%, respectively. Durin g the study, incident rates of field loss were 6.2% (1.23% per year) for sh ort wavelength automated perimetry and 5.9% (1.18% per year) for standard a utomated perimetry. Once abnormal, 80% of short wavelength automated perime try fields remained abnormal on the next examination, whereas only 45% of a bnormal standard automated perimetry fields remained abnormal. New short wa velength automated perimetry deficits in ocular hypertensives were more pro minent and more persistent than new standard automated perimetry deficits, CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent with the interpretation that short wavelength automated perimetry deficits occur before standard automated pe rimetry deficits in glaucoma, The similar incidence rates suggest that both standard automated perimetry and short wave length automated perimetry are monitoring the same underlying glaucomatous disease process. (Am J Ophthal mol 2001;131:709-715. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved .).