Comparing glaucoma progression on 24-2 and 10-2 visual field examinations

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Research
• Visual Field Testing

Background:

• Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy.
• Visual field (VF) testing is crucial for monitoring glaucoma progression.
• Standard 24-2 VF tests may not capture early central vision loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the rate of mean deviation (MD) change between 24-2 and 10-2 VF tests.
• To assess the utility of 10-2 VFs in detecting glaucoma progression in treated eyes.
• To analyze progression rates across different glaucoma severities.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 131 glaucoma patients (167 eyes) with at least 5 VF examinations.
• Inclusion criteria: VF defects on both 24-2 and 10-2 VFs.
• Calculation of MD change rates using best linear unbiased predictions (BLUP).

Main Results:

• The median rate of MD change was significantly greater on 10-2 VFs (-0.26 dB/year) compared to 24-2 VFs (-0.19 dB/year).
• This difference was most pronounced in advanced and severe glaucoma stages.
• Progression rates were comparable in early and moderate stages between the two VF tests.

Conclusions:

• 10-2 VF testing offers a more sensitive measure of glaucoma progression, especially in advanced disease.
• Utilizing 10-2 VFs can improve the estimation of glaucoma progression rates.
• This is particularly relevant for patients with existing VF defects on both test patterns.