Color visual field measurements for detecting glaucoma

This study evaluated the difference between glaucoma and normal eyes using a color visual field (CVF) test. Thirty-seven eyes of 37 normal subjects (mean age 56.6±12.0 years) and 39 eyes of 39 patients with glaucoma (mean age 57.1±11.3 years) underwent a CVF test by presenting red and blue-purple visual targets with the same brightness as the background. Measurements were made at 16 points within the central 5 degrees and at 6 points peripheral to that area in the papillary macular bundle (PMB). Thresholds were detected for each measurement point, and the total values for each central, upper, lower, and PMB region were compared between normal and glaucomatous eyes. The sum of thresholds obtained by the red target was significantly higher in the central, upper, lower, and PMB regions (P=0.008, P<0.001, P=0.02, and P=0.02, respectively) in glaucomatous eyes. The sum of thresholds obtained by the blue-purple target was higher in all regions except the PMB (P<0.01, P<0.01, P=0.04, and P=0.08, respectively). Of 8 patients under 50 years old who had no abnormalities in the 4 central points by standard automated perimetry (SAP), 4 showed a significant increase (more than 2 standard deviations) in at least one CVF threshold value of the 4 central points. CVF with both the red and blue-purple targets was detectably worse in eyes with glaucoma, and abnormalities were observed where SAP was determined to be within normal limits. This suggests that CVF testing may be an efficient tool for detecting glaucoma.