Comparative study of the fourier-domain optical coherence tomography structural changes and visual field loss for early detection of glaucoma

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurements with Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) for the detection of early glaucoma and to compare the results with visual field (VF) defects. Design This was a cross-sectional prospective diagnostic study. Patients and methods This study included 10 normal eyes and 48 eyes of patients suspected of having glaucoma on the basis of the appearance of the optic disc. All eyes had normal VFs by standard automated perimetry before the imaging session. A FDOCT system was used to map the macula and peripapillary regions of the retina. Short-wave automated perimetry was performed. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) were calculated to summarize the diagnostic accuracies of the parameters. Results The AUCs for the VF parameters were 0.819 for the mean deviation and 0.911 for the pattern standard deviation. AUCs for the RNFL parameters ranged from 0.625 for the superior average thickness to 0.693 for the inferior average RNFL thickness. AUCs for the macular parameters ranged from 0.467 for the GCC–global loss volume to 0.556 for the inferior GCC thickness. The AUC of the VF parameter with the largest AUC, pattern standard deviation, was significantly higher than that of the RNFL and macular parameters (0.911 vs. 0.693 and 0.556). Conclusion GCC measurements with FDOCT were similar to the RNFL parameters, but were inferior to VF deficits on short-wave automated perimetry for early detection of glaucoma.