Issue: October 2017
August 24, 2017
2 min read
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Dry eye may affect accuracy of visual field measurements

Issue: October 2017
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Specific conditions of the ocular surface may affect the reliability of visual field measurements in patients with glaucoma, according to a study.

Perspective from Lisa M. Young, OD, FAAO

In 34 eyes of 30 patients with open-angle glaucoma without visual field damage, tear break-up time (TBUT), tear meniscus volume (TMV), Schirmer’s test and presence of superficial punctate keratopathy (SPK) were assessed prior to visual field testing. A variety of gaze tracking (GT) parameters were calculated, including frequency of eye movements per stimulus, tracking failure frequency per stimulus (TFF) and the average blinking frequency. Possible associations between GT parameters and ocular surface condition measurements were investigated.

Significant correlations were found between SPK and increased frequency of eye movements and between TMV and increased rates of TFF.

As the authors noted, ocular surface disease is frequently observed in glaucoma patients due to the use of topical medications and to the preservatives that are contained in most of them. In addition, the prevalence of both glaucoma and dry eye increases with age. In this study, only patients without visual field defect were included, and an even higher prevalence of ocular surface disease should be expected in patients with more advanced glaucoma and more severe dry eye.

These findings, according to the authors, suggest that GT and visual field measurements may be altered by the presence of ocular surface disease, in particular by SPK and high TMV.

“Careful consideration is needed when assessing GT results in patients with these characteristics,” the authors concluded. – by Michela Cimberle

Disclosure: The authors reported no conflict of interest