gms | German Medical Science

102. Jahrestagung der DOG

Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft e. V.

23. bis 26.09.2004, Berlin

Comparison of optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness obtained by optical coherence tomography and confocal scanning-laser ophthalmoscopy

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author S. Kupferschmid - University of Ulm, Department of Ophthalmology
  • B. Michel - University of Ulm, Department of Ophthalmology
  • C. W. Spraul - University of Ulm, Department of Ophthalmology

Evidenzbasierte Medizin - Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. 102. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft. Berlin, 23.-26.09.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. Doc04dogDO.06.06

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2004/04dog056.shtml

Published: September 22, 2004

© 2004 Kupferschmid et al.
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Outline

Text

Objective

To evaluate the relationship between optic nerve head (ONH) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements generated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and compare the measurements with findings of perimetry.

Methods

In a prospective study 34 eyes (17 subjects) with glaucomatous damage and 30 eyes (15 subjects) with ocular hypertension were evaluated. All subjects were scanned with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (Heidelberg retina tomography (HRT); Heidelberg Engineering) and OCT (Version 3; Zeiss-Humphrey Ophthalmic Systems). Visual field testing was performed by computed perimetry (Humphrey 30/2). Topographic parameters (disc area, cup area, rim area, cup-disc ratio, and mean RNFL thickness) were compared between HRT and OCT and a correlation to mean deviation (MD) was calculated.

Results

In patients with glaucoma a high degree of correlation between HRT and OCT measurements was found for cup area (r=0.87), rim area (r=0.74), and cup-disc ratio (r= 0.88); the correlation was moderate for RNFL thickness (r= 0.48) and was weak for disc area (r= 0.29). There was only a moderate correlation between RNFL thickness and MD (OCT: r= 0.45; HRT: r=0.60). In contrast, patients with ocular hypertension displayed a high degree of correlation between HRT and OCT measurements for cup area (r=0.79) and cup-disc ratio (r= 0.85); the correlation was moderate for disc area (r= 0.41) and not existent for RNFL thickness (r= -0.13) and rim area (r= 0.07). There was no correlation between RNFL thickness and MD (OCT: r= 0.15; HRT: r=0.02). The only significant difference between eyes with glaucoma and ocular hypertensive eyes was found for the rim area and cup-disc ratio measured by OCT.

Conclusions

We found an acceptable correlation between HRT and OCT for evaluating the optic disc, although the absolute measurements were somewhat different. Assessment of RNFL thickness did not exhibit a significant correlation in ocular hypertensive patients and only a moderate correlation in patients with glaucoma; there was only a moderate correlation of RNFL thickness to MD in glaucoma patients and no correlation in ocular hypertensive eyes. OCT and HRT are reliable tools for assessment of topographic disc parameters but still have to be improved for measurement of RNFL thickness.