Examination Methods for Glaucoma Prevalence Surveys

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Abstract
Objective: To perform a pilot evaluation of new examination methods for the detection of glaucoma and other causes of visual impairment in rural East Africa. Design: Testing was performed by local eye nurses after a brief training course. Two novel tests of visual function were used, a scotopic sensitivity test and a visual field test performed on a laptop computer. The optic disc was examined with direct ophthalmoscopy after pupillary dilation and compared with standard photographs on a laminated card. Intraocular pressure was measured with a hand-held, electronic tonometer. Setting: Rural Tanzania. Participants: One hundred twenty adult villagers. Results: The visual function tests could be performed on more than 90% of subjects, and the results were correlated with the size of the optic disc cup, an objective measure of glaucoma injury. Conclusions: This survey shows the practicality of instrumentbased testing of visual function under field conditions.