Glaucomatous visual field defects: their characteristics and how to detect them.

Abstract

Functional defects of glaucomatous optic neuropathy are reviewed and summarized. Glaucomatous visual field defects are basically comprised of four major patterns: an isolated scotoma, an arcuate scotoma, a nasal step, and generalized depression. The field loss progresses conforming to the optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber changes. Interpretation of the visual field and some tips of the interpretation are outlined in addition to describing differential diagnosis. Lastly, blue-on-yellow perimetry and high-pass resolution perimetry, both of which are promising tools for early detection of glaucoma, are introduced.