The screening of the central visual field

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Visual Science
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Glaucomatous field defects require accurate and efficient screening methods.
• The Armaly technique is a specific approach to perimetric screening for visual field loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Armaly technique using different perimetric instruments.
• To compare the performance of the Goldmann perimeter, Auto-Plot tangent screen, and Friedmann central field analyser in screening for glaucomatous field defects.

Main Methods:

• The Armaly technique was applied to 100 normal eyes and 38 eyes with known central field defects.
• Screening results were obtained using the Goldmann perimeter and Auto-Plot tangent screen.
• These results were compared against those from the Friedmann central field analyser.

Main Results:

• The Auto-Plot tangent screen demonstrated the lowest initial false positive rate in normal eyes.
• The Friedmann analyser exhibited the highest initial false positive rate.
• The Friedmann analyser showed lower specificity for early central field changes compared to the Goldmann perimeter and Auto-Plot tangent screen.

Conclusions:

• The Auto-Plot tangent screen is a more specific tool for Armaly's technique screening than the Friedmann analyser.
• Despite lower specificity, the Friedmann analyser is the easiest instrument for mass screening perimetry due to its simplicity.