title: Minimum distance mapping using three-dimensional optical coherence tomography for glaucoma diagnosis.
abstract: Objective imaging of the optic nerve structure has become central to the management of patients with glaucoma. There is an urgent need in diagnosis and staging for reliable objective precursors and markers. Three-dimensional ultrahigh-resolution frequency domain optical coherence tomography (3D UHR OCT) holds particular promise in this respect since it enables volumetric assessment of intraretinal layers including tomographic data for the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and optic nerve head. The integrated analysis of this information and the resolution advantage has enabled the development of more informative indices of axonal damage in glaucoma compared with measurements of RNFL thickness and cup-to-disc ratio provided by commercial OCT devices. The potential for UHR OCT in enabling the combined analysis of tomographic and volumetric data on retinal structure is explored. A novel parameter was developed; the three-dimensional minimal distance as the optical correlate of true retinal nerve fiber layer thickness around the optic nerve head region. For the purposes of this pilot study, we present data from a normal subject and from two patients with characteristic optic nerve and retinal nerve fiber layer changes secondary to glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Biomedical Imaging Group, Cardiff, Wales CF24 4LU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Povazay
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Unterhuber
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Glittenberg
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Drexler
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008954:Models, Biological; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D042262:Retinoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*