Faster VF testing method may be beneficial in early glaucoma

Results from this large retrospective study suggest that the Swedish Interactive Thresholding Algorithm (SITA) Fast testing method could be used in evaluating glaucoma suspects as well as early glaucoma.

The SITA Humphrey Field Analyzer testing strategies have become a clinical standard. However, while SITA Fast measurements are thought to be more variable than SITA Standard, which is currently recognized as the gold standard to detect progression, some clinics routinely use SITA Fast because it is quicker.

In this multicenter study, the authors compared the measurement precision of the two SITA strategies across a range of visual field sensitivities.. In total, they analyzed more than 150,000 visual field tests performed over a 15-year period. 

SITA Fast had worse precision overall, especially at lower visual field sensitivities (the 20 to 5 dB range). However, when translated to median time to detect progression, the differences in measurement precision were negligible.

They conclude that in the absence of patient preferences for a particular testing strategy, clinicians can use either one to follow up with patients with the knowledge that their precision in detecting visual field progression will be practically equivalent.