Background: This study was undertaken to determine whether the interval between visual field tests affects the ability to detect progres sive glaucomatous field loss.
Methods: One hundred and nineteen retinal locations which were deteriorating significantly by
1 dB/year (untreated normal tension glaucoma patients: 6 eyes) were studied. Analysis was repeated using
thinned
visual field tests: one test per year instead of the complete three per year over a period of 4 years.
Results: The
thinned
tests identified only 45.4% of the deteriorating points over the 4-year period. Furthermore, there was a mean delay of 1.10 years in detection (P<0.01).>
Conclusions: Less frequent visual field testing detects fewer progressing locations and detects them later.
Presented in part at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, May 1995 and at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting, October 1995.
The authors have no proprietary interest in any of the materials used in this study.