Progression of visual field defects in glaucoma. Relation to compliance with pilocarpine therapy.

In patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, compliance with pilocarpine therapy was studied with an electronic medication monitor. The visual fields and intraocular pressure (IOP) readings were followed up retrospectively during two years before and two years after the compliance measurements. Progression of visual field defects was significantly more common in patients with capsular glaucoma than in patients with simple glaucoma. Eyes with more extensive visual field defects showed progression more often than did eyes with smaller defects, and so did eyes with a high mean IOP as compared with those with a low mean IOP. Visual field defect progression was not significantly more common among patients with "poor" than among patients with "good" compliance, which indicates that noncompliance is less important for the outcome than are the type of glaucoma, the stage of visual field defects, and the mean IOP.