title: Evaluating the optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer in glaucoma. II: Optical image analysis.
abstract: Glaucoma is a widespread, blindness-causing disease that is characterized in part by specific and sometimes subtle changes in optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer topography. Several recently developed computer-based optical imaging techniques allow objective evaluation of the optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer. These techniques use different optical properties and different properties of the retina to provide micron scale measurements of many aspects of optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer structure. This article describes and evaluates 3 of these techniques: confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, scanning laser polarimetry, and optical coherence tomography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Glaucoma Center and Diagnostic Imaging Laboratory, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0946, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Zangwill
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bowd
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Weinreb
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*