Abstract
Purpose :
Myopia is a common ocular abnormality worldwide and is an independent risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). However, the ability to distinguish early glaucomatous damage from a non-glaucomatous myopic changes is often challenging due to morphological abnormalities in ocular structures associated with axial elongation. The aim of this study was to compare the structure-function correlation between two optical coherence tomography (OCT) protocols, ganglion cell complex (GCC) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in POAG patients or suspects with high myopia.
Methods :
This was a cross-sectional study of a cohort of patients treated between 2017 and 2021 in a single center. The values of the GCC thickness and the average thickness of the RNFL were correlated with the values of mean deviation (MD) and visual field index (VFI obtained by automated perimetry in patients with high myopia and glaucoma or those suspected of having glaucoma.
Results :
The study included 54 eyes from 27 patients. The mean age of glaucoma suspect patients was 53 ± 13 years, while in the group of POAG patients was 55 ± 7 years. In the OCT examination, the mean vertical cup/disc ratio (C/D v) was 0.6 ± 0.1 in suspects and 0.7 ± 0.1 in POAG patients (p = 0.0011). The C/D v revealed better correlation with the functional variables, MD (P = 0.083), when compared with the anatomical variables, RNFL (P = 0.959) and GCC (P = 0.218). For POAG, the C/D v compared to the MD (P = 0.177), PSD (P = 0.068) and VFI (P = 0.214).
Conclusions :
In this cohort of glaucoma patient and suspects, the structure-function correlation was better with C/D v and MF/VFI than that between GCC (and RNFL) and functional parameters. This observation highlights the importance of C/D v in the assessment of the optic disc in glaucoma.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.