CHALLENGES FACING AUTOMATED PERIMETRIC MEASUREMENTS IN DIAGNOSIS AND FOLLOW UP OF PRIMARY OPEN ANGLE GLAUCOMA

Abstract

Automated perimetry is a ready means to obtain standardized, quantitative measurements of the visual field, has prompted valuable clinical research, and has improved the care of patients with glaucoma. Static threshold measurements are sensitive to shallow depressions of the visual field. This increases the detection rate of early glaucomatous defects compared to routine manual techniques. Although static threshold measurements' are not new to practitioners, the computerized format and the generation of a large amount of numeric data present new challenges. The increased sensitivity of the method has increased the "noise" of the measurements and demands careful attention to the many variables that may atJect the measured threshold. Visual field measurements should never be interpreted in the absence of other clinical information. It is necessary to integrate intraocular pressure, appearance of the optic nerve, and other ocular and systemic factors when making decisions about diagnosis and therapy.