Quantification of nerve fiber layer thickness in normal and glaucomatous eyes using optical coherence tomography

J. S. Schuman, M. R. Hee, C. A. Puliafito, C. Wong, T. Pedut-Kloizman, C. P. Lin, E. Hertzmark, J. A. Izatt, E. A. Swanson and J. G. Fujimoto
New England Eye Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass., USA.

PURPOSE: Quantitative assessment of nerve fiber layer (NFL) thickness in normal and glaucomatous eyes, and correlation with conventional measurements of the optic nerve structure and function. METHODS: We studied 59 eyes of 33 subjects by conventional ophthalmologic physical examination, Humphrey 24-2 visual fields, stereoscopic optic nerve head photography, and optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Nerve fiber layer thickness as measured by optical coherence tomography demonstrated a high degree of correlation with functional status of the optic nerve, as measured by visual field examination (P = .0001). Neither cupping of the optic nerve nor neuroretinal rim area were as strongly associated with visual field loss as was NFL thickness (P = .17 and P = .21, respectively). Cupping correlated with NFL thickness only when the cup was small (cup-to-diameter ratio, 0.1 to 0.3) or large (cup-to-diameter ratio, 0.8 to 1.0) (P = .006); there was no correlation between cupping and NFL thickness otherwise. Nerve fiber layer, especially in the inferior quadrant, was significantly thinner in glaucomatous eyes than in normal eyes (P = .04). Finally, we found a decrease in NFL thickness with aging, even when controlling for factors associated with the diagnosis of glaucoma (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Nerve fiber layer thickness can be measured using optical coherence tomography. These measurements provide good structural and functional correlation with known parameters.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Tracking retinal nerve fiber layer loss after optic neuritis: a prospective study using optical coherence tomography
Costello et al.
Mult Scler 2008;14:893-905.
ABSTRACT  

Optical Coherence Tomography Scan Circle Location and Mean Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Measurement Variability
Gabriele et al.
IOVS 2008;49:2315-2321.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

An unexpectedly low Stratus optical coherence tomography false-positive rate in the non-nasal quadrants of Asian eyes: indirect evidence of differing retinal nerve fibre layer thickness profiles according to ethnicity
Kim et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2008;92:735-739.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Intravitreal Colchicine Causes Decreased RNFL Birefringence without Altering RNFL Thickness
Fortune et al.
IOVS 2008;49:255-261.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Optic Disc Evaluation by Optical Coherence Tomography in Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
Contreras et al.
IOVS 2007;48:4087-4092.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Evaluation of Optical Coherence Tomography and Heidelberg Retinal Tomography Parameters in Detecting Early and Moderate Glaucoma
Naithani et al.
IOVS 2007;48:3138-3145.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

American Chinese Glaucoma Imaging Study: A Comparison of the Optic Disc and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Detecting Glaucomatous Damage
Leung et al.
IOVS 2007;48:2644-2652.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Optical coherence tomography can monitor reversible nerve-fibre layer changes in a patient with ethambutol-induced optic neuropathy
Zoumalan and Sadun
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2007;91:839-840.
FULL TEXT  

Scanning Laser Polarimetry with Enhanced Corneal Compensation and Optical Coherence Tomography in Normal and Glaucomatous Eyes
Sehi et al.
IOVS 2007;48:2099-2104.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Ability of Stratus OCT to Identify Localized Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Defects in Patients with Normal Standard Automated Perimetry Results
Kim et al.
IOVS 2007;48:1635-1641.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Rule Extraction for Glaucoma Detection with Summary Data from StratusOCT
Huang et al.
IOVS 2007;48:244-250.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Relationship between Visual Field Sensitivity and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness as Measured by Optical Coherence Tomography
Ajtony et al.
IOVS 2007;48:258-263.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Measurements in Myopia: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study
Leung et al.
IOVS 2006;47:5171-5176.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Microtubule Contribution to the Reflectance of the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer
Huang et al.
IOVS 2006;47:5363-5367.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Relationship between Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Visual Field Sensitivity as Measured by Optical Coherence Tomography in Chiasmal Compression
Danesh-Meyer et al.
IOVS 2006;47:4827-4835.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Relationship between Retinal Ganglion Cell Function and Retinal Nerve Fiber Thickness in Early Glaucoma.
Ventura et al.
IOVS 2006;47:3904-3911.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Distribution of Optic Disc Parameters Measured by OCT: Findings from a Population-Based Study of 6-Year-Old Australian Children.
Huynh et al.
IOVS 2006;47:3276-3285.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Structure-function relationships using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography, and scanning laser polarimetry.
Bowd et al.
IOVS 2006;47:2889-2895.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Diagnostic Capability of Optical Coherence Tomography in Evaluating the Degree of Glaucomatous Retinal Nerve Fiber Damage
Sihota et al.
IOVS 2006;47:2006-2010.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Retinal nerve fiber layer assessment using optical coherence tomography with active optic nerve head tracking.
Ishikawa et al.
IOVS 2006;47:964-967.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Development and Comparison of Automated Classifiers for Glaucoma Diagnosis Using Stratus Optical Coherence Tomography
Huang and Chen
IOVS 2005;46:4121-4129.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

OCT Measurements in Patients with Optic Disc Edema
Menke et al.
IOVS 2005;46:3807-3811.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Optical Coherence Tomography Longitudinal Evaluation of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Glaucoma
Wollstein et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2005;123:464-470.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Optical coherence tomography of the retinal nerve fibre layer in mild papilloedema and pseudopapilloedema
Karam and Hedges
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2005;89:294-298.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Variation of Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Birefringence in Normal Human Subjects
Huang et al.
IOVS 2004;45:3073-3080.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Thickness and Birefringence of Healthy Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Tissue Measured with Polarization-Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography
Cense et al.
IOVS 2004;45:2606-2612.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Optical Coherence Tomography 3: Automatic Delineation of the Outer Neural Retinal Boundary and Its Influence on Retinal Thickness Measurements
Costa et al.
IOVS 2004;45:2399-2406.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Optical coherence tomography analysis of axonal loss in band atrophy of the optic nerve
Monteiro et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2004;88:896-899.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Reproducibility of Nerve Fiber Thickness, Macular Thickness, and Optic Nerve Head Measurements Using StratusOCT
Paunescu et al.
IOVS 2004;45:1716-1724.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Optical Tomography-Measured Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Normal Latinos
Varma et al.
IOVS 2003;44:3369-3373.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Evaluation of Heredity as a Determinant of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness as Measured by Optical Coherence Tomography
Hougaard et al.
IOVS 2003;44:3011-3016.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Retinal thickness decreases with age: an OCT study
Alamouti and Funk
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2003;87:899-901.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Macular Thickness Changes in Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy Detected Using Optical Coherence Tomography
Greenfield et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2003;121:41-46.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Quantitative analysis of axonal loss in band atrophy of the optic nerve using scanning laser polarimetry
Monteiro et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2003;87:32-37.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Analytical Model of Scanning Laser Polarimetry for Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Assessment
Knighton et al.
IOVS 2002;43:383-392.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Noninvasive Imaging by Optical Coherence Tomography to Monitor Retinal Degeneration in the Mouse
Li et al.
IOVS 2001;42:2981-2989.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Detecting Early Glaucoma by Assessment of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness and Visual Function
Bowd et al.
IOVS 2001;42:1993-2003.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Discriminating Between Normal and Glaucomatous Eyes Using the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph, GDx Nerve Fiber Analyzer, and Optical Coherence Tomograph
Zangwill et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2001;119:985-993.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Humphrey optical coherence tomography scanner: quantitative analysis and reproducibility study of the normal human retinal nerve fibre layer
Jones et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2001;85:673-677.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Assessment of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Internal Reflectivity in Eyes With and Without Glaucoma Using Optical Coherence Tomography
Pons et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2000;118:1044-1047.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pseudodefects of the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Examined Using Optical Coherence Tomography
Tuulonen and Yalvac
Arch Ophthalmol 2000;118:575-576.
FULL TEXT  

The Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Ocular Hypertensive, Normal, and Glaucomatous Eyes With Optical Coherence Tomography
Bowd et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2000;118:22-26.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Correlation between Morphological and Functional Retinal Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Parisi et al.
IOVS 1999;40:2520-2527.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Evaluating the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Glaucoma With Scanning Laser Polarimetry
Weinreb
Arch Ophthalmol 1999;117:1403-1406.
FULL TEXT  

The Interpretation of Optical Coherence Tomography Images of the Retina
Chauhan and Marshall
IOVS 1999;40:2332-2342.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Visual Function Correlates with Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Eyes Affected by Ocular Hypertension
Parisi et al.
IOVS 1999;40:1828-1833.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Corneal Thickness Measurements With the Topcon SP-2000P Specular Microscope and an Ultrasound Pachymeter
Bovelle et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 1999;117:868-870.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effect of aging on optic nerve appearance: a longitudinal study
Moya et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 1999;83:567-572.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

OCT imaging of choroidal neovascularisation and its role in the determination of patients' eligibility for surgery
Giovannini et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 1999;83:438-442.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Preperimetric glaucoma diagnosis by confocal scanning laser tomography of the optic disc
Mardin et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 1999;83:299-304.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT