The Usefulness of Follow Up Mode in Glaucoma Progression Detection

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of the follow-up mode in detecting the glaucoma progression by measuring circumpapillary RNFL (cpRNFL) thickness in SD-OCT

Methods: The subjects were prospectively enrolled at Kyoto University Hospital from April 2008. Spectralis^TM HRA+OCT system (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) were performed repeatedly. The subjects examined at least 3 times for 12 months were included in the following analysis. Linear mixed model was conducted to evaluate the longitudinal trends of the measurement.

Results: Two hundred and thirty three eyes of 149 patients were finally included in this study. One hundred and eight eyes of 62 patients (Group A, mean age ± standard deviation, 61.5 ± 10.9 years) were examined using the follow-up mode in Spectralis OCT. One hundred and twenty five eyes of 87 patients (Group B, mean age ± standard deviation, 47.1 ± 11.4 years) were examined without using the follow-up mode. Linear mixed models showed estimated average rate of global cpRNFL change per year was -1.29 μm /year in Group A (95% CI -2.00 μm/year to -0.57 μm/year) and -1.17 μm /year in Group B (95% CI -2.47 μm/year to 0.13 μm/year), suggesting that significant negative trends over time were detected in Group A but not in Group B. In sectorial analysis, significant negative trends were detected for all the sectors in Group A (-2.37 μm/year to -0.80 μm/year), but significant positive trends were detected for some sectors in Group B (-4.53 μm/year to 2.80 μm/year).

Conclusions: In evaluating the glaucoma progression by cpRNFL thickness in SD-OCT, the use of the follow-up mode may allow more accurate detection of glaucoma progression.