Glaucoma tests are a group of investigations used to detect and monitor damage to the optic nerve from raised or susceptible intraocular pressure. No single test is sufficient alone.
Main components
A comprehensive glaucoma assessment usually includes:
- Intraocular pressure measurement by tonometry
- Optic nerve evaluation with slit-lamp biomicroscopy and fundus imaging
- Visual field testing to detect functional loss
- Gonioscopy to assess the drainage angle
Additional imaging
Modern imaging helps track structural change.
- Optical coherence tomography OCT of the retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell complex
- Serial disc photographs for comparison over time
- Pachymetry to measure corneal thickness, which influences pressure interpretation
- Results are interpreted together with risk factors such as age, family history, and corneal thickness
