Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness in preperimetric glaucoma (PPG) with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Design Self control study and case control study. Participants Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients were 20 cases(40 eyes), of which 20 eyes without visual field defects as PPG, and healthy controls were 30 cases(30 eyes). Methods All subjects were underwent macular scanning and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) scanning using the RTvue SD-OCT. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess the ability to discriminate PPG from normal control. Main Outcome Measures The thickness of GCC and RNFL, and their AUCs. Results Compared with normal eyes, the thickness of average GCC, superior GCC, inferior GCC, average RNFL, superior RNFL, and inferior RNFL in PPG eyes decreased (P<0.001). However, these parameters were thicker than POAG eyes (P≤0.002). The values of GCC-GLV and GCC-FLV increased compared with normal eyes (P<0.001, P=0.021)， but decreased compared with POAG eyes (P<0.001). GCC-GLV had highest AUC for detecting PPG (0.983) from normal eyes, followed by average RNFL (0.930). However, the difference between the two parameters was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions In addition to RNFL, the GCC could be a structural parameter for detecting PPG. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2017, 26: 10-14)

Key words:  glaucoma, visual field, ganglion cell complex, retinal nerve fiber layer, optical coherence tomography