The Application of a New Maximum Color Contrast Sensitivity Test to the Early Prediction of Chiasma Damage in Cases of Pituitary Adenoma: The Pilot Study

PURPOSE: Our objective was to estimate the maximum color contrast sensitivity (MCCS) thresholds in individuals with chiasma opticum damage. METHODS: The pilot study tested 41 people with pituitary adenoma (PA) and 100 age- and gender-matched controls. Patients were divided into two groups according to PA size, PA ≤1 cm or PA >1 cm. A new MCCS test program was used for color discrimination. RESULTS: The mean total error score (TES) of MCCS was 1.8 in the PA ≤1 cm group (standard deviation [SD], 0.38), 3.5 in the PA >1 cm group (SD, 0.96), and 1.4 in the control group (SD, 0.31; p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between tumor size and MCCS result (r = 0.648, p < 0.01). In the group that had PA-producing hormones, the TES was 2.5 (SD, 1.09), compared to 4.2 value in the non-functioning PA group of patients that did not have clinically significant hormone excess (SD, 3.16; p < 0.01). In patients with normal visual acuity (VA) or visual field MCCS, the TES was 3.3 (SD, 1.8), while that in patients with VA <0.00 was 4.6 (SD, 2.9). CONCLUSIONS: Results of the MCCS test TES were 1.9 times better in patients with PA ≤1 cm compared to patients with PA >1 cm (p < 0.01). In PA patients with normal VA, the TES was 2.35 times worse than that of healthy persons (p < 0.01).