[Structure-function correlation in early diagnosis of glaucoma progression].
OBJECTIVE
The study investigates the correlations between structure and function in early detection of glaucoma progression.


METHODS
A prospective study was carried on 204 patients diagnosed with POAG and a follow-up period of 4 years. All the patients underwent complex ophthalmological examination, C/D ratio, Disk Damage Likelyhood Scale (DDLS), automated perimetry and Heidelberg retina tomography


RESULTS
The relations between structure and function were investigated for all patients, but also according to clinical stage of glaucomatous damage. Structural progression was more frequently associated with perimetric progression for patients with moderate advanced glaucoma. For patients with preperimetric glaucoma and early glaucoma, the progression was present more often for structural test (19,04% and 29,3%), while perimetric progression was less frequent objectivated and weak correlated with structural progression (16,66%). For the 15 cases diagosed with both structural and functional progression, the locations of the structural lesion and functional defect were better correlated in cases involving the poles of the optic disc.


CONCLUSIONS
Structure-function relation depends on clinical stage of glaucoma and the location of the glaucomatous defects. In early stages, structural investigations can detect progression before perimetry, while in advanced stages, the functional tests are more useful for early detection of progression.
Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie "Carol Davila" Bucureşti.
Ana-Maria
AM
Dascălu
Cristina
C
Alexandrescu
Alina
A
Popa-Cherecheanu
Daniela
D
Stana
Aida
A
Panca
Ruxandra
R
Pascu
Liliana
L
Voinea
D000465:Algorithms; D018450:Disease Progression; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D058609:Visual Field Tests