TY - JOUR
T1 - Eccentric fixation in Stargardt's disease assessed by Tübingen perimetry
AU - Messias, Andre
AU - Reinhard, Jens
AU - Cruz, Antonio Augusto Velasco
AU - Dietz, Klaus
AU - MacKeben, Manfred
AU - Trauzettel-Klosinski, Susanne
PY - 2007/12
Y1 - 2007/12
N2 - PURPOSE. To measure eccentric fixation characteristics in visual fields of patients with Stargardt's disease. METHODS. The positions of fixation loci (FL) in the visual field were determined by Tübingen perimetry (TP), using the position of the blind spots in 173 patients. Altogether, 669 visual fields were measured at baseline and during follow-up. Twenty patients were also examined by scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO). RESULTS. Ninety-five of 173 patients showed a ring scotoma with central fixation in at least one test, which could persist for up to 18.8 years. The median age for a 50% chance of the development of eccentric fixation was 23.6 years. One hundred four patients (203 eyes) used eccentric fixation in at least one eye; in 154 eyes, the FL was placed below the scotoma and in 33 eyes to the left of it, in 11 to the right of it, and in 5 above it. Once the FL was chosen, it remained within the same visual field area at subsequent tests, varying on average by 1.76°. Compared with SLO results, the mean distance between FL and PRL was 1.90°. CONCLUSIONS. It is possible to determine the position of the FL by perimetry with sufficient accuracy if the blind spot is well delimited. Stargardt patients can keep central fixation for different time intervals before changing to an eccentric FL. Most of them show an FL below the central scotoma, which is considered favorable for horizontal reading.
AB - PURPOSE. To measure eccentric fixation characteristics in visual fields of patients with Stargardt's disease. METHODS. The positions of fixation loci (FL) in the visual field were determined by Tübingen perimetry (TP), using the position of the blind spots in 173 patients. Altogether, 669 visual fields were measured at baseline and during follow-up. Twenty patients were also examined by scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO). RESULTS. Ninety-five of 173 patients showed a ring scotoma with central fixation in at least one test, which could persist for up to 18.8 years. The median age for a 50% chance of the development of eccentric fixation was 23.6 years. One hundred four patients (203 eyes) used eccentric fixation in at least one eye; in 154 eyes, the FL was placed below the scotoma and in 33 eyes to the left of it, in 11 to the right of it, and in 5 above it. Once the FL was chosen, it remained within the same visual field area at subsequent tests, varying on average by 1.76°. Compared with SLO results, the mean distance between FL and PRL was 1.90°. CONCLUSIONS. It is possible to determine the position of the FL by perimetry with sufficient accuracy if the blind spot is well delimited. Stargardt patients can keep central fixation for different time intervals before changing to an eccentric FL. Most of them show an FL below the central scotoma, which is considered favorable for horizontal reading.
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U2 - 10.1167/iovs.06-0367
DO - 10.1167/iovs.06-0367
M3 - Article
C2 - 18055836
AN - SCOPUS:38549115628
SN - 0146-0404
VL - 48
SP - 5815
EP - 5822
JO - Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
JF - Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
IS - 12
ER -