Computerised densitometry of red-free retinal photographs correlated with automatic perimetry

An image analyser installed in a 16 bit personal computer was used to measure grey levels in red free photographs of normal and glaucomatous eyes. Regional photographic image intensity and density were correlated with Humphrey Field Analyser results for corresponding areas of visual field. Two methods for standardising photographic exposure by histogram equalisation and slide were compared in two groups of eyes from 13 subjects. For histogram equalisation, r2 varied from 0.16 to 0.29 for linear fits in temporal retinal quadrants. For the histogram slide, r2 varied between 0.19 to 0.45 for linear fits. Similar results were found for mean histogram equalised image intensity versus Humphrey Field Analyser global indices: Mean Deviation, (r2 = 0.27) and Pattern Standard Deviation, (r2 = 0.37). For histogram equalised image data, resistant line analysis showed a linear goodness of fit of 0.92 and for histogram slide goodness of fit was 0.97 for upper and 0.87 for lower temporal quadrants.