Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Diagnosis of early glaucoma with flicker comparisons of serial disc photographs

Heijl, A LU and Bengtsson, B LU (1989) In Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 30(11). p.84-2376
Abstract

We evaluated flicker comparison, a technique for detecting differences in serial fundus photographs. Serial optic disc photographs and computerized threshold visual fields were obtained every 3 months for an average of 40 months in 131 eyes of 81 patients with elevated intraocular pressure and normal visual fields. Two serial monophotographs were projected, optically aligned, and superimposed; analysis was done by alternately viewing first one and then the other image. We found flicker analysis of serial disc photographs to provide results which were closely correlated with those of computerized threshold perimetry. Thus, of those 12 eyes which developed field defects, eight showed definite change and two showed highly suspected change... (More)

We evaluated flicker comparison, a technique for detecting differences in serial fundus photographs. Serial optic disc photographs and computerized threshold visual fields were obtained every 3 months for an average of 40 months in 131 eyes of 81 patients with elevated intraocular pressure and normal visual fields. Two serial monophotographs were projected, optically aligned, and superimposed; analysis was done by alternately viewing first one and then the other image. We found flicker analysis of serial disc photographs to provide results which were closely correlated with those of computerized threshold perimetry. Thus, of those 12 eyes which developed field defects, eight showed definite change and two showed highly suspected change in optic disc configuration. Only two eyes showed a definite alteration in optic disc anatomy without the development of field loss, and field defects appeared in only one of 109 eyes in which there was no change or suspected change on flicker comparison. The flicker method was more sensitive than conventional nonflickered comparisons, but changes could usually be seen also with conventional inspection once they had been detected by the flicker method. Our findings suggest that flicker analysis may offer a considerable improvement over current standard methods of analyzing serial photography and may be a useful complement to routine perimetry. However, this method requires special equipment; requires that the photographs be similarly centered; and is time-consuming. Alignment of photographs by means of computerized image analysis techniques could make the method clinically practicable.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Diagnosis, Differential, Flicker Fusion, Glaucoma, Humans, Intraocular Pressure, Ocular Hypertension, Optic Disk, Photography, Visual Field Tests, Visual Fields
in
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
volume
30
issue
11
pages
9 pages
publisher
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:0024388766
  • pmid:2807794
ISSN
0146-0404
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4fa0f6ac-445a-41e7-b4b0-d44387f74e51
date added to LUP
2016-08-30 17:07:17
date last changed
2024-01-19 08:01:50
@article{4fa0f6ac-445a-41e7-b4b0-d44387f74e51,
  abstract     = {{<p>We evaluated flicker comparison, a technique for detecting differences in serial fundus photographs. Serial optic disc photographs and computerized threshold visual fields were obtained every 3 months for an average of 40 months in 131 eyes of 81 patients with elevated intraocular pressure and normal visual fields. Two serial monophotographs were projected, optically aligned, and superimposed; analysis was done by alternately viewing first one and then the other image. We found flicker analysis of serial disc photographs to provide results which were closely correlated with those of computerized threshold perimetry. Thus, of those 12 eyes which developed field defects, eight showed definite change and two showed highly suspected change in optic disc configuration. Only two eyes showed a definite alteration in optic disc anatomy without the development of field loss, and field defects appeared in only one of 109 eyes in which there was no change or suspected change on flicker comparison. The flicker method was more sensitive than conventional nonflickered comparisons, but changes could usually be seen also with conventional inspection once they had been detected by the flicker method. Our findings suggest that flicker analysis may offer a considerable improvement over current standard methods of analyzing serial photography and may be a useful complement to routine perimetry. However, this method requires special equipment; requires that the photographs be similarly centered; and is time-consuming. Alignment of photographs by means of computerized image analysis techniques could make the method clinically practicable.</p>}},
  author       = {{Heijl, A and Bengtsson, B}},
  issn         = {{0146-0404}},
  keywords     = {{Diagnosis, Differential; Flicker Fusion; Glaucoma; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Ocular Hypertension; Optic Disk; Photography; Visual Field Tests; Visual Fields}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{84--2376}},
  publisher    = {{Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc.}},
  series       = {{Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science}},
  title        = {{Diagnosis of early glaucoma with flicker comparisons of serial disc photographs}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{1989}},
}