Clinical evaluation of a rapid, pupil-based assessment of retinal damage associated with glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of a new test, the Pupilmetrix() PLR60, which uses the pupillary light reflex (PLR) to detect asymmetric retinal damage in patients diagnosed with glaucoma.


METHODS
30 patients, clinically diagnosed as having glaucoma, were recruited to the study, 29 of whom completed testing using the PLR60. A control group of 30 patients who had glaucoma excluded by clinical examination were also recruited and tested using the same protocol on the PLR60.


RESULTS
Of the 110 eyes with test outcomes, overall agreement between the PLR60 result and clinical diagnosis (glaucoma positive or negative) per eye was 84.7%. Sensitivity was 93.1% (95% CI 77.2%-99.2%) and specificity was 76.7% (95% CI 57.7%-90.1%). Average (SD) test times (min:sec) for both eyes were 3:21 (0:33) minutes for the glaucoma group and 2:40 (0:35) minutes for the non-glaucoma group.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this preliminary study suggest that the PLR as used in the Pupilmetrix PLR60 test is able to discriminate between patients with glaucomatous retinal defects and those with clinically normal retinas with a diagnostic accuracy that is potentially useful for screening for glaucoma. Test times were markedly quicker than with standard visual field testing.
Wride
Nicholas
N
Sunderland Eye Infirmary, City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Habib
Majed
M
Morris
Keith
K
Campbell
Steve
S
Fraser
Scott
S