Measurement of intraocular pressure with pressure phosphene tonometry in children.
OBJECTIVE
To study the accuracy and acceptability of intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement by the pressure phosphene tonometer, non-contact tonometer, and Goldmann tonometer in children.


METHODS
Fifty children (5 to 14 years old) participated in this prospective comparative study. IOP was measured with the pressure phosphene tonometer, non-contact tonometer, and Goldmann tonometer by three different examiners who were masked to the results. The children were also asked to grade the degree of discomfort from 0 to 5 (0 = no discomfort; 5 = most discomfort).


RESULTS
The mean IOPs measured by the Goldmann tonometer, pressure phosphene tonometer, and non-contact tonometer were 15.9 mm Hg (standard deviation [SD]: = 5.5 mm Hg; range: 10 to 36 mm Hg), 16.0 mm Hg (SD: 2.9 mm Hg; range: 12 to 25 mm Hg), and 15.7 mm Hg (SD = 5.1 mm Hg; range: 8 to 32 mm Hg), respectively (P = .722). The mean difference between pressure phosphene tonometer and Goldmann tonometer readings was 2.9 mm Hg and that between non-contact tonometer and Goldmann tonometer readings was 2.1 mm Hg. The 95% confidence interval of the mean difference between pressure phosphene tonometer and Goldmann tonometer readings was -1.07 and 1.19, and that between non-contact tonometer and Goldmann tonometer readings was -1.07 and 0.53. The mean discomfort ratings for the pressure phosphene tonometer, non-contact tonometer, and Goldmann tonometer were 0.6, 2.0, and 2.3, respectively (P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Although the pressure phosphene tonometer was less accurate than the non-contact tonometer compared with Goldmann tonometer, it gave a reasonably close estimate and had a high specificity of raised IOP. In addition, measurement by the pressure phosphene tonometer is most acceptable to children. The pressure phosphene tonometer can be considered as an alternative method of IOP measurement in children.
Fan
Dorothy S P
DS
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
Chiu
Thomas Y H
TY
Congdon
Nathan
N
Chan
Jeffrey C W
JC
Cheung
Eva Y Y
EY
Lam
Dennis S C
DS
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010719:Phosphenes; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular / Q000295:instrumentation*