A pilot study to detect glaucoma with confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy compared with nonmydriatic stereoscopic photography in a community health screening.

Purpose

To assess the efficacy and practical usefulness of the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II (HRT II) compared with nonmydriatic stereoscopic photography in a public glaucoma screening.

Methods

We examined 1173 local residents, aged 40 years or older, who visited a community health screening in Komatsu City. Initial glaucoma screening consisted of noncontact pneumotonometry, nonmydriatic stereoscopic fundus photography, and HRT II. When glaucoma was suspected, the subjects were referred for a definitive examination, in which slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination, Goldmann applanation tonometry, Humphrey 30-2 test, gonioscopy, and optic nerve head evaluation were performed.

Results

A total of 97.2% (2279/2345) of the nonmydriatic stereoscopic optic disc photographs could be interpreted and 93.4% (2189/2345) were good images. HRT II measurements were successful in 99.0% (2322/2345) of eyes, and acceptable images were obtained in 91.9% (2154/2345) of eyes. On the basis of clinical diagnoses, 94 eyes of 60 participants were diagnosed with glaucoma. The sensitivity of nonmydriatic stereoscopic photographs for personal-level analysis and eye-level analysis was 95.8% and 95.5%, respectively. Using Moorfield's regression analysis, HRT sensitivity and specificity were 72.3% to 91.5% and 84.0% to 93.1%, respectively, for personal-level analysis, and 60.3% to 72.6% and 89.7% to 95.6%, respectively, for eye-level analysis.

Conclusion

Although HRT II did not detect glaucoma as well as optic nerve stereophotographs in this Japanese population, it may play a role in community health screening.