Scanning laser polarimetry of the retinal nerve fibre layer in primary open angle and capsular glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical value of scanning laser polarimetry with the nerve fibre analyser type II in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and capsular glaucoma.


METHODS
Scanning laser polarimetry was performed on one eye of 30 patients suffering from POAG, 25 patients suffering from capsular glaucoma, and on 35 healthy control subjects. The retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness values were compared among the groups. Reproducibility of the measurements was calculated and the influence of pilocarpine induced miosis on the results was investigated.


RESULTS
RNFL thickness in the superior and inferior sectors, as well as along the total circumference was significantly lower in both glaucoma groups than in the control eyes (p < 0.05). None of the thickness values differed between the two glaucoma groups. Reproducibility was comparable in all groups; the coefficient of variation varied between 3.0% and 8.9% for the different sectors investigated. Miosis had no significant impact either on the thickness values or on the reproducibility (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that scanning laser polarimetry is a useful method for nerve fibre layer analysis in glaucoma, and that it is not influenced by the pupil size.
Holló
G
G
1st Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University School of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
Süveges
I
I
Nagymihály
A
A
Vargha
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D008875:Middle Aged; D008916:Miotics; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000379:methods; D010862:Pilocarpine; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D008916:Miotics; D010862:Pilocarpine