Examination methods for glaucoma prevalence surveys.
OBJECTIVE
To perform a pilot evaluation of new examination methods for the detection of glaucoma and other causes of visual impairment in rural East Africa.


METHODS
Testing was performed by local eye nurses after a brief training course. Two novel tests of visual function were used, a scotopic sensitivity test and a visual field test performed on a laptop computer. The optic disc was examined with direct ophthalmoscopy after pupillary dilation and compared with standard photographs on a laminated card. Intraocular pressure was measured with a hand-held, electronic tonometer.


METHODS
Rural Tanzania.


METHODS
One hundred twenty adult villagers.


RESULTS
The visual function tests could be performed on more than 90% of subjects, and the results were correlated with the size of the optic disc cup, an objective measure of glaucoma injury.


CONCLUSIONS
This survey shows the practicality of instrument-based testing of visual function under field conditions.
Quigley
H A
HA
Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
West
S K
SK
Munoz
B
B
Mmbaga
B B
BB
Glovinsky
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields