Specificity and sensitivity of glaucoma detection in the Japanese population using scanning laser polarimetry.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the usefulness of the scanning laser polarimeter (GDx; GDx Nerve Fiber Analyzer) for glaucoma detection in the Japanese population, and to investigate the difference in the thickness of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) between normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).


METHODS
69 eyes of 69 normal subjects and 115 eyes of 115 chronic open angle glaucoma patients (60 NTG and 55 POAG patients) were studied. The thickness of RNFL was measured with GDx. An eye was diagnosed as glaucomatous, if at least one original GDx variable showed p <5%. The difference in thickness of RNFL between the NTG and POAG groups was then investigated.


RESULTS
46 normal eyes (66.7%) were diagnosed as not glaucomatous (no variables showing p <5%), and 93 glaucomatous eyes (46 NTG and 47 POAG eyes) (80.9%) were diagnosed as glaucomatous. Actual values of average thickness, ellipse average, superior average, and superior integral were significantly lower in the POAG group than those in the NTG group.


CONCLUSIONS
New variables which elucidate focal RNFL defects or early changes are needed to improve the moderate detection ability found in this present study. The pattern of the change in RNFL may differ in NTG and POAG groups.
Funaki
Shigeo
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata, Japan. shigeo@muse.ocn.ne.jp
Shirakashi
Motohiro
M
Yaoeda
Kiyoshi
K
Abe
Haruki
H
Kunimatsu
Shiho
S
Suzuki
Yasuyuki
Y
Tomita
Goji
G
Araie
Makoto
M
Yamada
Noriko
N
Uchida
Hideya
H
Yamamoto
Tetsuya
T
Kitazawa
Yoshiaki
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008875:Middle Aged; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology