Agreement between peripheral anterior chamber depth evaluation using the van Herick technique and angle width...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
• Early detection of narrow angles is crucial for preventing angle-closure glaucoma.
• Standardized methods for angle assessment are essential in large-scale screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the correlation between the van Herick system and the Shaffer system.
• To assess the utility of the van Herick technique for identifying narrow angles in a Japanese population.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale ophthalmic epidemiological survey of 14,779 Japanese subjects aged 40+.
• Initial screening using the van Herick technique to identify potential narrow angles (grades 1 and 2).
• Secondary gonioscopic examination by glaucoma specialists using the Shaffer system for definitive angle assessment.

Main Results:

• 923 eyes (6.2%) were identified as narrow-angle eyes by the van Herick technique.
• Of these, 426 eyes (65.9%) were confirmed to have angles as narrow as or narrower than Shaffer grade 2.
• Van Herick grade 1 showed a high concordance (86.3%) with Shaffer grade 2 or narrower.

Conclusions:

• The van Herick technique demonstrates a strong correlation with the Shaffer system.
• The van Herick method is a potentially useful and simple tool for screening narrow-angle eyes in the Japanese population.
• This finding supports the use of van Herick for efficient initial assessment in epidemiological studies.