A new study has found children with glaucoma had an average of 1.3 visual field (VF) tests per year, providing valuable data that could influence future paediatric patient management strategies.
Published in the Journal of Glaucoma,1 the study analysed data from a large cohort of United States glaucoma patients to understand how often VF tests are conducted and what factors influence this frequency.
It found most paediatric glaucoma patients had between one and two VF tests per year, although less than half were reliable and there was considerable variability, with some patients receiving as few as one test every two years and others undergoing multiple tests annually.
Black and multiracial patients had lower visual field-testing rates while older children with better visual acuity had more frequent testing.
“Unlike for adults, there are no formal recommendations for VF testing frequency in children,” the study authors wrote.
“Although glaucoma in children is uncommon, it is responsible for 5% of paediatric blindness worldwide… understanding the rate of VF testing frequency in children and its associations is important to form evidencebased guidelines for VF testing in this unique population.”
The study concluded that “providers should consider barriers to care, and future guidelines may require special considerations for children with low vision or different types of glaucoma”.
“Future studies should consider additional sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors as potential barriers to care of VF testing frequency.”
Reference
- Hekmatjah N, Kumar, A, Julius T, et al., Visual field testing frequency and associations in children with glaucoma. Journal of Glaucoma 33(7):499-504, July 2024. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000002406.