Water drinking Test In Open Angle Glaucoma Patients With And Without Visual Field Progression

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To compare the water drinking test (WDT) between glaucomatous eyes with and without visual field progression. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 76 eyes of 76 OAG patients followed for a mean period of 25.95 ± 13.78 months. Patients were submitted to WDT at the beginning of the follow–up period. Reliable achromatic automated perimetry tests (Humphrey Visual Field Analyser, full threshold, 24–2) performed during the studied period were used to characterize visual field progression based on Caprioli's criteria. All subjects were under clinical therapy and had IOP lower than 17 mmHg monitored by isolated office readings. WDT was compared between glaucomatous eyes with and without visual field progression Results: 28 eyes reached definite visual field progression. There were no significant differences in the mean age, sex, race, basal IOP, number of antiglaucomatous drugs, initial MD and CPSD between eyes that showed visual field progression and the ones who did not progressed. From an overall baseline of 12.74 mmHg, mean IOP peak (mean ± standard error of the mean) was 16.79 ± 0.44 mmHg in glaucomatous eyes that showed visual field deterioration and 14.85 ± 0.33 mmHg glaucomatous eyes that did not show visual field deterioration. The difference between groups of 1.93 ± 0.56 mmHg was significant (P = 0.001, analysis of covariance; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83 to 3.04). Mean percentage of IOP variation (mean ± standard error of the mean) was 17.18 ± 2.75% in glaucomatous eyes that did not show visual field deterioration and 34.02 ± 3.62% in glaucomatous eyes that showed visual field deterioration. The difference of 16.84 ± 4.60% between the groups was significant (P < 0.001, analysis of covariance; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.68 to 26.01) Conclusions: Mean IOP peak and percentage of IOP variation during WDT were significantly higher in patients with visual field progression compared to patients who did not progressed. Worst WDT performance is associated with visual field progression.

Keywords: intraocular pressure • visual fields