Detection of Cataract with a New Perimetry Method Using Retinal Projection Technology

To investigate the cataract-detecting ability of MEOCHECK, a novel, simple visual field measurement device, we undertook cataract examinations in 90 eyes of 45 male taxi drivers (chosen because their occupation requires a high degree of visual function) using conventional ophthalmological techniques (refraction, intraocular pressure, logMAR visual acuity, central foveal threshold, and Humphrey Field Analyzer 24-2-measured mean deviation) and MEOCHECK. Cataracts were graded according to the WHO Simplified Cataract Grading System (WHOSCGS) criteria. After the exclusion of 17 eyes with inserted intraocular lenses, a history of ocular disease, and missing both logMAR and IOP value, 72 eyes were enrolled in the present study. According to the WHOSCGS criteria, 17 eyes had nuclear cataract grade 0 (NUC0), 43 eyes had nuclear cataract grade 1 (NUC1), and 12 eyes had nuclear cataract grade 2 (NUC2). To evaluate the diagnostic power of each measurement factor, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted using sensitivity and specificity and the area under the curve (AUC) was measured as an indicator of the performance of a binary classifier. In discrimination between NUC0/1 and NUC2, the AUCs for age and MEOCHECK score were calculated to be 0.857 and 0.914, respectively. Comparing NUC0/1 with NUC2 in the 70-79-year age group showed that there was no significant difference in age, but was a significant difference in MEOCHECK score. Based on these findings, MEOCHECK, based on retinal projection technology, efficiently discriminated NUC2 from NUC0/1 in taxi drivers, indicating that MEOCHECK has the potential to detect cataracts.