Distribution and Progression of Visual Field Defects With Binocular Vision in Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the distribution and progression of glaucomatous visual field (VF) defects with binocular vision.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Subjects were 167 patients (average age, 67±10.7 y) with glaucoma who received the Humphrey 24-2 VF test (SITA-Standard) for the 2 eyes. Using the Best Location Algorithm, patient's binocular integrated VF (IVF) was calculated from their Humphrey 24-2 results. Of 167, 77 subjects (average age, 68±11.0 y) also underwent monocular/binocular Humphrey Esterman tests. Patient's stage of glaucomatous VF loss was classified by the Esterman Disability Score for each test, and the distribution and progression of the defects with binocular vision was evaluated for each stage. The frequencies of the defects in the upper and lower halves of the VF were also investigated.

RESULTS: With the IVF, the glaucomatous VF defects were most frequently found around the Mariotte blind spots and the Bjerrum areas and extended to the periphery. With the binocular Humphrey Esterman VF, the defects were most frequently found around the bitemporal and Bjerrum areas. The IVF results showed 31%, 49%, and 20% of the patients with the earliest glaucoma having defects in the upper, lower, and both halves of the VF, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Glaucomatous VF defects with binocular vision were frequently found at the Mariotte blind spots in the central VF and around the bitemporal areas in the periphery. They appeared to have distributions and progression different from those of the defects with monocular vision previously reported.