Scanning laser entoptic perimetry for the screening of macular and peripheral retinal disease.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of scanning laser entoptic perimetry as a noninvasive platform for screening for retinal damage in visually asymptomatic patients within the central 120 degrees (diameter) of vision. DESIGN A masked study comparing entoptic perimetry with fundus photographs. SETTING The Shiley Eye Center and the AIDS Ocular Research Unit at the University of California, San Diego. PATIENTS Fifty-eight patients recruited during ophthalmologic visits for treatment or follow-up of ocular disease. MEASUREMENTS For each testing session, we compared the presence of a disturbance in the entoptic stimulus with the presence of retinal disease within the central 120 degrees of vision, centered on the fovea. RESULTS Scanning laser entoptic perimetry has a sensitivity and specificity of more than 90%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 89% for screening retinal lesions within the central 120 degrees diameter of vision. CONCLUSION Scanning laser entoptic perimetry may be an effective and inexpensive screening test for diagnosing retinal disease in hospitals and community clinics. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118:1205-1210