THE FOLLOW-UP OF PATIENTS SCREENED FOR GLAUCOMA WITH NONMYDRIATIC FUNDUS PHOTOGRAPHY

In order to evaluate the value of photographic screening in predicting progressive glaucomatous damage, we re-examined 26 subjects 5 years after the initial screening. Of the 26 patients 16 had typical glaucomatous optic disc and visual field abnormalities (n = 7), retinal nerve layer damage (n = 6), or other risk factors of glaucoma (n = 3). In 10 of 26 patients suspected of having glaucoma, no abnormalities were initially confirmed. Of the 16 eyes with initially abnormal findings, 10 (63%) showed progressive changes during the 5-year follow-up period. The 10 initially suspected cases have remained healthy throughout the follow-up, giving a false positive rate of 5.5%. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to identify correctly patients with progressive glaucomatous changes with a non-mydriatic fundus camera.