[Diagnostic capabilities of a classification program of the Heidelberg retina tomograph for early glaucomatous...

We investigated the diagnostic capabilities of a new glaucoma diagnostic softwave (classification program) of the Heidelberg retina tomograph for early glaucoma. Thirty eyes of 30 patients with early glaucoma (average visual field mean deviation = -3.7 dB) and 30 eyes of 30 normal subjects were enrolled. The criterion for early glaucomatous change was a visual field defect appearing earlier than Aulhorn classification stage II without considering the disc configuration. The diagnostic ability of three glaucoma specialists for the same eyes was evaluated using the Heidelberg retina tomograph analysis map. The agreement of two or three glaucoma specialists was accepted as the final judgment. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic precision were calculated for all evaluations. The agreement between the classification program and glaucoma specialists was calculated with kappa statistics. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic precision of the classification program were 80%, 83% and 82%, respectively. Those of the by glaucoma specialists were 83%, 90% and 87%, respectively. The agreement between the classification program and glaucoma specialists was excellent (kappa 0.73, % agreement 86.7%). The classification program will aid the diagnosis of early glaucomatous damage with high sensitivity and specificity.