The relationship between difficulty in daily living and binocular visual field in patients with glaucoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between difficulty in daily living and binocular visual field in patients with glaucoma. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We examined 144 patients with glaucoma who had bilateral visual field disturbances. The mean age was 68 +/- 13 years. Difficulty in daily living was assessed using a questionnaire consisting of 10 questions on daily activities. Each response was rated on a scale of 1 to 4: with a score of 4 for "no difficulty", 3 for "some difficulty", 2 for "great difficulty" and 1 for "cannot manage at all". The binocular visual field was assessed using the Esterman visual field test and the Esterman score was calculated. The relationship between difficulty in daily living and Esterman score was evaluated. RESULTS: The mean total score for difficulty in daily living was 34 +/- 7 (range; 13-40). The mean Esterman score was 79 +/- 24 (range; 0-100). The total score for difficulty in daily living correlates positively with the Esterman score (r2 = 0.48, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that the Esterman score is a good predictor of difficulty daily living.