Analysis of Preferential Hyperacuity Perimeter Results in Maculopathy Caused by Various Retinal Diseases

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The Preferential Hyperacuity Perimeter (PHP) is a device designed to monitor the development of choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. Recent studies have reported the efficacy of the PHP in early detection of AMD. To evaluate hyperacuity, a dot deviation signal is flashed to the central 14 degrees of the macular visual field and the patient's perceived hyperacuity defect is recorded. The purpose of our study was to identify the role of the PHP in analyzing visual functions of patients with maculopathy caused by retinal diseases other than AMD. METHODS: Seventy-four eyes of 55 patients with macular abnormalities caused by various retinal diseases (44 eyes of diabetic retinopathy, 6 eyes of central serous chorioretinopathy, 24 eyes of other retinal diseases) underwent PHP, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography (FAG). RESULTS: Of the 74 eyes with maculopathy, 60 eyes (81%) were positive on the PHP. By disease, 40 eyes (40/44, 91%) with diabetic retinopathy, 3 eyes (3/6, 50%) with central serous chorioretinopathy and 17 eyes (17/24, 71%) with other retinal diseases were positive. Among them, the location of hyperacuity defect lesions determined by PHP correlated well with the location shown on OCT and FAG in 6 eyes (6/40, 15%) with diabetic retinopathy, 1 eye (1/3, 33%) with central serous chorioretinopathy and 5 eyes (5/17, 29%) with other retinal diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Many retinal diseases that lead to maculopathy revealed a hyperacuity defect on PHP when the lesion was located not only in the retinal pigment epithelium but also in the outer retinal layer. Special attention to the patient's visual acuity and visual field defects is required when analyzing PHP results since these factors can influence the PHP evaluation.