A Region-of-Interest Approach for Detecting Progression of Glaucomatous Damage With Optical Coherence Tomography.
OBJECTIVE
Detecting progression of glaucomatous damage is often challenging.


OBJECTIVE
To test the feasibility of using frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) and a region-of-interest (ROI) approach to measure progressive changes in glaucomatous damage.


METHODS
Among a group of patients in an institutional glaucoma practice who were likely to show glaucoma progression, eyes with a history of an optic disc hemorrhage (DH) confirmed by stereophotography were followed up with FD-OCT cube scans of the optic disc. All patients underwent FD-OCT scans on at least 2 occasions separated by at least 1 year (mean, 3.45 years; range, 1.42-6.39 years). Because we were not studying the effects of an optic DH, no constraint was placed on the time between the documentation of an optic DH and the first scan used in the analysis.


METHODS
After en face images of the FD-OCT scan were aligned based on the blood vessels, circumpapillary images were derived for an annulus 100 µm in width, and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness profiles were plotted for the first and last visits. The ROI width associated with the optic DH was defined as the region of the RNFL profile below the 1% CI based on healthy norms. The change in the ROI width was compared with the change in the global RNFL thickness, which was obtained by averaging the circumpapillary RNFL thickness.


RESULTS
The change in the ROI width (mean [SD], 8.0° [6.4°]; 95% CI, 4.9° to 11.1°; range, -0.7° to 19.3°) was significant (P < .001, 2-tailed t test) while the change in the global thickness (mean [SD], 2.40 [5.87] μm; 95% CI, -0.48 to 5.28 μm) was not significant (P > .12, 2-tailed t test). Although 15 of the 16 ROIs increased in width between visits, only 11 showed a decrease in the global RNFL thickness.


CONCLUSIONS
For detecting progression of local RNFL damage in patients with glaucoma, an OCT ROI approach appears superior to the OCT global RNFL thickness measure typically used.
Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York2Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Donald C
DC
Hood
Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Daiyan
D
Xin
Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Diane
D
Wang
Ravivarn
R
Jarukasetphon
Einhorn Clinical Research Center, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, New York.
Ravivarn
R
Jarukatsetphorn
Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Rithu
R
Ramachandran
Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Lola M
LM
Grillo
Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Carlos G
CG
De Moraes
Einhorn Clinical Research Center, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, New York.
Robert
R
Ritch
D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields