Purpose: To provide readers with standards, recommendations, guidelines, and requirements for the application of perimetry to clinical ophthalmic practice and scientific study.
Methods: A working group of perimetry and visual field specialists from many parts of the world constructed a document that would allow current and future perimeters to be assessed by the same criteria. Because hardware and software technology, statistical procedures and clinical conditions are constantly changing, the characteristics in this paper emphasize general concepts rather than specific implementations employed by current devices.
Results: Critical aspects of perimetry included indications for perimetry, perimetric techniques, stimulus characteristics, test administration, patient preparation, data display, statistical analysis, interpretation of visual field findings, a glossary of terms and definitions, and standards for comparison of different perimetric tests. Each of these topics is discussed, along with their advantages and disadvantages.
Conclusions: These guidelines serve as a basis for practitioners to evaluate their perimetric needs in relation to their clinical practice and patient population so that informed decisions can be made for visual field testing. In addition, these issues should be used as a cornerstone for future technological and practical improvements to the visual field diagnostic procedures.