Chromatic-achromatic perimetry in four clinic cases: Glaucoma and diabetes

BACKGROUND: Some diseases that affect the visual system may show loss of chromatic-achromatic sensitivity before obvious physical signs appear in the usual examination of the eye's posterior segment. A perimetric study has been conducted with four typical patients with glaucoma and diabetes, at different stages of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In addition to the standard white-on-white (standard automated perimetry [SAP]), a test battery has been used to study patient's contrast sensitivity, using stimuli with different chromatic, spatial, and temporal content (multichannel perimetry). The choice of stimuli tries to maximize the response of different visual mechanisms: Achromatic (parvocellular and magnocellular origin); chromatic red-green (parvocellular origin); and chromatic blue-yellow (koniocellular origin). RESULTS: The results seem to indicate losses in the achromatic-parvocellular perimetry and both chromatic perimetry tests, undetected by conventional SAP. CONCLUSIONS: Our results illustrate that our patients without visible retinal alterations show signs of suspicion in multichannel perimetry.