Progression of early glaucomatous visual field loss as detected by blue-on-yellow and standard white-on-white automated perimetry.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether blue-on-yellow perimetry reveals progression of glaucomatous damage before it is evident with standard white-on-white perimetry.


METHODS
A Humphrey field analyzer (Humphrey Instruments, San Leandro, Calif) was modified to perform blue-on-yellow perimetry to isolate and measure the sensitivity of short wavelength-sensitive mechanisms. Participants were tested annually with standard white-on-white automated perimetry and blue-on-yellow automated perimetry for 5 years.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with early glaucomatous visual field loss in one or both eyes and 62 age-matched normal control subjects.


RESULTS
At baseline, 25 (78.1%) of the 32 eyes exhibited larger deficits with blue-on-yellow perimetry, five (15.6%) had equivalent loss with both tests, and two (6.3%) had larger deficits with standard white-on-white perimetry. Seven (21.9%) of the 32 eyes demonstrated evidence of progressive visual field loss with standard white-on-white perimetry in 5 years, while the other 25 eyes (78.1%) were relatively stable. Deficits with blue-on-yellow perimetry were twice as large as deficits with white-on-white perimetry in the stable group and were three to four times as large in the group with progressive field loss.


CONCLUSIONS
Blue-on-yellow perimetry is effective in predicting which patients with early glaucomatous visual field loss are most likely to have progressive loss. The rate of progressive loss is greater with blue-on-yellow perimetry than with standard white-on-white perimetry.
Johnson
C A
CA
Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento 95816.
Adams
A J
AJ
Casson
E J
EJ
Brandt
J D
JD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003117:Color Vision Defects / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D058609:Visual Field Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014794:Visual Fields