Frequency-doubling perimetry in patients following penetrating keratoplasty

Perimetry using a frequency-doubling technique (FDT perimetry) is becoming established as a new diagnostic tool to detect early visual field losses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of an FDT perimetry protocol (C-20-5) in patients after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and to assess whether this method is influenced by postoperative corneal topographic changes.

Thirty-six patients (age 40 +/- 13, median 41 years) following PK and 68 age-matched controls were included in this study. The postoperative interval was 21 +/- 19, median 14 months. Patients with preexisting glaucoma or any postoperative intraocular pressure elevation were excluded. The indications for PK were keratoconus in 82%, Fuchs dystrophy in 15%, and secondary bullous keratopathy in 3%. In 19 patients keratoplasty was performed in 1 eye. FDT perimetry was evaluated in both eyes to judge intraindividual variability. FDT perimetry was done using the screening strategy, which begins testing at the normal 5% probability level. If a stimulus is not detected, further targets are presented. FDT viewfinder and statistics software were used for case-wise recalculation of all missed localized probability levels.

Neither mean overall FDT score (0.8 +/- 1.9, median 0.0 versus 0.9 +/-1.0, median 0.0) nor total test time (44 +/- 4.7, median 44 versus 44 +/- 4.2, median 42 seconds) showed significant differences between patients after PK and controls (P = 0.5). There was also no significant difference of mean FDT score between eyes after keratoplasty (0.8 +/- 1.9, median 0.00) and nonoperated contralateral eyes (0.9 +/- 2.0, median 0.00, P = 0.8) in the same patient. No significant correlation between FDT score and visual acuity as well as corneal keratometric astigmatism could be found in patients after PK and in normals (r < 0.2, P = 0.3). In patients after PK, FDT score and examination time were statistically independent of keratometric astigmatism (P = 0.7), topographic astigmatism (P = 0.4), spherical equivalent (P = 0.5), central corneal thickness (P = 0.7), and interval of postoperative follow-up (P = 0.6).

Perimetry using the FDT protocol (C-20-5) seems to be feasible in patients after PK and does not depend on postoperative topographic changes of the cornea. This method allows valid information on visual field abnormality in patients after PK The results indicate that this method may be helpful as a supplement to detect early glaucomatous damage in patients after PK.