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Optic Disc and Visual Field Changes in a Prospective Longitudinal Study of Patients With Glaucoma
Comparison of Scanning Laser Tomography With Conventional Perimetry and Optic Disc Photography
Balwantray C. Chauhan, PhD;
Terry A. McCormick, BA;
Marcelo T. Nicolela, MD;
Raymond P. LeBlanc, MD
Arch Ophthalmol. 2001;119:1492-1499.
ABSTRACT
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Objective To investigate the relationship between optic disc changes measured
with scanning laser tomography and those measured with conventional perimetry
and optic disc photography.
Methods In a prospective longitudinal study, we followed up 77 patients with
early glaucomatous visual field damage. Scanning laser tomography (using the
Heidelberg Retina Tomograph) and conventional perimetry (using the Humphrey
Field Analyzer) were carried out every 6 months. Disc progression was determined
by a procedure recently described by us for scanning laser tomography, with
confirmed progression requiring repeatable changes based on probability limits
for both the depth (using individual test-retest variability values) and size
of change (determined in a group of 37 healthy individuals also followed up
prospectively). Field progression was determined with the Statpac Glaucoma
Change Probability Analysis. The agreement between scanning laser tomography
and conventional disc photography was determined in a subgroup of patients.
Results Patients were followed up for a median of 5.5 years, with a median of
12 sets of examinations with scanning laser tomography and conventional perimetry.
Twenty-one patients (27%) showed no progression with either technique. Thirty-one
patients (40%) progressed with scanning laser tomography only, while 3 (4%)
progressed with conventional perimetry only. Of the 22 patients (29%) who
progressed with both techniques, 10 (45%) progressed with scanning laser tomography
first (median, 18 month earlier) and 9 (41%) with conventional perimetry first
(median, 12 months earlier), while 3 (14%) progressed at the same time. Of
the 16 patients with disc photographs that closely overlapped the follow-up,
there was concordance between scanning laser tomography and disc photography
in 13 patients (81%).
Conclusions Glaucomatous disc changes determined with scanning laser tomography
occur more frequently than field changes. Most patients with field changes
also had disc changes; however, less than half of those with disc changes
had field changes.
INTRODUCTION
CONFOCAL scanning laser tomography was introduced approximately a decade
ago primarily for quantitative imaging of the optic disc in glaucoma.1 A topographic height map of the optic disc and peripapillary
retina is produced with high spatial resolution. Advantages over conventional
optic disc photography include quick image acquisition, quantitative analysis,
and the ability to obtain good-quality images in most subjects without pupil
dilation.2-3
Numerous studies have been carried out to assess the reproducibility
of both the individual topographic height measurements and computed indices,
such as cup-disc ratio and cup volume.2, 4-7
The accuracy of the indices has been determined,8
as have studies comparing them with measurements obtained by stereo disc photography
and planimetry.9-10
Scanning laser tomography can identify glaucomatous and normal discs
with generally a high degree of precision7, 11-13;
however, the true sensitivity and specificity of the technique in a population
screening with unbiased samples remains to be reported. Automatic nonsubjective
detection of an abnormal disc depends on comparison of a disc index with that
in a population of normal discs. Detection of a statistically significant
change in the same optic disc over time requires comparison of the change
in an index with the variability in its repeated measurement (test-retest
variability). Since scanning laser tomography provides imaging data with high
spatial resolution (about 10 µm per pixel), regional variability of
the measurements can be characterized.5, 14
Furthermore, since each optic disc is unique, regional variability will be
different for different individuals. A variability template against which
changes can be gauged can be personalized for each optic disc. These theoretical
considerations suggest that scanning laser tomography may be well suited to
detect small changes in the optic disc.
Recently, a statistical technique was described for detecting topographic
changes in the optic disc and peripapillary retina with scanning laser tomography.15 This technique does not require the user to outline
the optic disc border (contour line) and does not rely on an arbitrary depth
for the definition of disc cupping (reference plane). Computer simulation
experiments showed that the technique has good sensitivity while maintaining
a high level of specificity.15 The purpose
of this study is to report data from a prospective longitudinal study of patients
tested every 6 months and followed up for a median of 5.5 years with scanning
laser tomography. We compare these results with those of conventional perimetry
and disc photography.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
SUBJECTS
Data for this study were obtained from a longitudinal prospective study
that began in 1991 in which a variety of psychophysical tests and scanning
laser tomography are performed in a group of patients with glaucoma and healthy
control subjects. Patients with glaucoma were recruited on a consecutive basis
from the practice of one of us (R.P.L.) and the Glaucoma Clinic of the Eye
Care Centre of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre, Halifax, Nova
Scotia. Healthy control subjects were recruited from seniors' groups, local
church organizations, and employees of a local telephone company. The study
was approved by the Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre Research Ethics
Committee. All subjects gave written informed consent.
Patients were included according to the following criteria: (1) diagnosis
of open-angle glaucoma with characteristic glaucomatous optic disc damage,
such as notching or progressive thinning of the neuroretinal rim, typically
recorded photographically; (2) visual field with a Mean Deviation index between -2
and -10 dB; (3) open angles by gonioscopy; (4) best-corrected visual
acuity of 20/40 or better; and (5) 5 or more sets of good-quality examinations
with scanning laser tomography. Exclusion criteria for patients were as follows:
(1) concomitant ocular disease; (2) systemic disease or systemic medication
known to affect the visual field; (3) refractive error exceeding 5 diopters
(D) equivalent sphere or 3 D of astigmatism; and (4) contact lens wear.
Healthy control subjects were included according to the following criteria:
(1) normal results of ocular examination; (2) best-corrected visual acuity
of 20/40 or better; (3) intraocular pressure of 21 mm Hg or less; (4) negative
family history of glaucoma; and (5) 5 or more sets of examinations with scanning
laser tomography. Exclusion criteria for controls were as follows: (1) systemic
disease or systemic medication known to affect the visual field; (2) refractive
error exceeding 5 D equivalent sphere or 3 D of astigmatism; and (3) contact
lens wear.
SCANNING LASER TOMOGRAPHY
Scanning laser tomography was performed with the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph
(Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Dossenheim, Germany). The device contains a
low-intensity diode laser (wavelength, 670 nm) and a confocal imaging system.
The principle of the technique has been described elsewhere.1, 16
Essentially, 32 confocal sections of the imaged area, centered on the optic
disc and perpendicular to the optical axis of the eye, are automatically captured
from the level of the posterior vitreous to the retrolaminar optic nerve.
The transverse image resolution is 256 x 256 pixels in a 10° x
10°, 15° x 15°, or 20° x 20° image frame.
After alignment of the 32 section images for lateral eye movements, a 3-dimensional
reconstruction of the imaged area is performed, yielding a topographic image
with discrete topographic height values at the 65 536 pixels.
TESTING PROTOCOL
Subjects first underwent a full ophthalmic examination. If both eyes
were eligible for the study, one eye was randomly assigned the study eye and
was the only eye tested for the study.
Visual field examinations were then carried out with conventional automated
static perimetry using the 30-2 program of the Humphrey Field Analyzer (Humphrey
Instruments Inc, Dublin, Calif) with the use of the appropriate refractive
correction and the full threshold algorithm. After 2 baseline examinations
within 7 days, follow-up examinations were done at 6-month intervals.
Scanning laser tomography was introduced to the study in 1994. Several
images with the optic disc centered in the image frame were obtained. Three
of the best-quality images were included in the analysis. Follow-up images
were then obtained in the same manner at 6-month intervals. Most subjects
were scanned with the 10° x 10° scan angle; however, in subjects
with large optic discs, the 15° x 15° scan angle was used. The
same scan angle for a given subject was used throughout the follow-up.
Pupils less than 3 mm in diameter were dilated with tropicamide (0.8%)
and phenylephrine (5%) for the visual field and scanning laser tomographic
examinations. Perimetry and scanning laser tomography were performed at the
same visit throughout the follow-up by a single experienced technician (T.A.M.).
A subset of patients with optic disc photographs obtained within a few
months of the baseline scanning laser tomography examination and who had at
least 1 set of disc photographs during the follow-up was included in an analysis
that compared scanning laser tomography with disc photography. Optic disc
photography was carried out with a fundus camera (Carl Zeiss, Thornwood, NY).
Most photographs were stereoscopic and obtained with an Allen separator (Carl
Zeiss). The scanning laser tomography examination that was closest in time
to the last optic disc photograph was chosen as the final examination for
this subset of analysis to obtain follow-up times that overlapped maximally
between the 2 imaging techniques.
DATA ANALYSIS
Analysis of changes in optic disc topography was performed with a method
described recently.15 Briefly, the 256 x
256-pixel array from each topographic image was divided into a 64 x
64-superpixel array where each superpixel contained 16 (4 x 4) pixels.
An analysis of variance was conducted to analyze change in topographic heights
from one set of images (3 baseline images at 1 visit) to another (3 follow-up
images at 1 visit). For statistical testing we adjusted the degrees of freedom
for spatial correlation by means of the Satterthwaite correction.17 The analysis output is a probability map in which
the probability that the difference in topographic height (follow-up compared
with baseline) within a given superpixel occurs by chance alone is shown on
a gray scale.15 Therefore, a probability map
was computed for each follow-up visit. For the present study, the probability
maps were simplified to show magenta superpixels when there was a reduction
in topographic height compared with baseline with P<.05
and to show green superpixels when there was an elevation in topographic height
compared with baseline with P<.05. The magenta
and green superpixels were superimposed on the reflectivity image so that
the location of the changes could be visualized easily.
We considered confirmed change in the topographic height within a given
superpixel to be present if the significance value associated with it was
always .05 or less in 3 consecutive sets of follow-up images. We devised a
computer program to provide this display. By computing the incidence of confirmed
change in healthy control subjects in terms of the size of superpixels in
a cluster, we were able to devise probability limits (P<.05) for the patients with glaucoma. The P<.05
cutoff value was a cluster of 20 superpixels, ie, less than 5% of healthy
control subjects had a cluster of 20 or more significant superpixels in 3
consecutive images. There was no relationship between age and the average
or largest cluster of significant superpixels in 3 consecutive images in the
healthy control subjects (P>.40). Any patient who
showed a cluster of 20 or more significant superpixels where the topographic
change compared with baseline was outside normal limits in 3 consecutive sets
of follow-up images was considered to have confirmed progression. The date
of confirmed progression was taken as the progression date.
We analyzed progression of the visual field by means of the Glaucoma
Change Probability Analysis described by Heijl and colleagues.18
This analysis, which is available in the Statpac program of the Humphrey Field
Analyzer, establishes a mean baseline visual field from 2 examinations. Any
location at which the difference in threshold deviation between a given follow-up
examination and baseline falls outside the 95th or 5th percentile for test-retest
variability in patients with stable glaucoma is indicated as a white triangle
(probable "improvement") or black triangle (probable "deterioration"), respectively.18 Our criterion for progression was identical to one
used in a recent study19 in which first all
the edge points were removed from the program 30-2 pattern, leaving 50 locations
in total. Confirmed progression occurred when there was complete overlap in
the location of 4 or more black triangles in 2 of 3 consecutive follow-up
visual fields. The date of confirmed progression was taken as the progression
date.
Since scanning laser tomography was introduced to the study at a later
date than conventional perimetry, we recalculated the baselines for the latter
such that the first of the 2 baseline examinations exactly matched the date
of the baseline scanning laser tomography examination. Therefore, the earliest
confirmed progression with either technique could occur after 18 months of
follow-up. We compared the frequency of progression with both scanning laser
tomography and conventional perimetry and the time to progression in patients
who progressed with both techniques.
To study the potential confounding effects of intraocular pressure changes
on optic disc topography, we conducted a comparative analysis of several intraocular
pressure variables during the follow-up in patients who showed progression
with scanning laser tomography compared with those who remained stable.
Two of us (M.T.N. and R.P.L.) independently evaluated the disc photographs
for each of the patients in whom disc photographs that closely overlapped
the follow-up with scanning laser tomography were available. The investigators
were masked to patient identity and had to indicate if and where progression
had occurred (superonasal, superotemporal, inferonasal, inferotemporal, or
temporal). In cases of disagreement, a consensus decision was made. These
results were then compared with those obtained by scanning laser tomography.
We used parametric statistical tests when respective distributions were
Gaussian and when there was homogeneity in group variances. When these conditions
were not met, equivalent nonparametric tests were used. All statistical tests
were 2-tailed, and statistical significance was assumed when P<.05.
RESULTS
There were 77 patients with glaucoma (41 men and 36 women), whose median
age at baseline was 58.0 years (range, 29-87 years). The median follow-up
was 5.5 years (range, 3-6 years), with a median of 12 sets of examinations
(range, 7-13) with scanning laser tomography and 12 (range, 7-13) corresponding
examinations with conventional perimetry. The subset of 37 control subjects
who had scanning laser tomography performed in addition to conventional perimetry
included 18 men and 19 women. Data from these subjects were used to derive
the 95th percentile for significant superpixel cluster size in 3 consecutive
examinations. Their median age was 51.0 years (range, 31-72). The median follow-up
with scanning laser tomography was 2.8 years (range, 2-6.5 years), with a
median of 6 sets of examinations (range, 5-14) with scanning laser tomography.
The visual field in all of these subjects remained normal as judged by the
Glaucoma Hemifield Test20 and with the use
of the normal limits for Mean Deviation and Corrected Pattern Standard Deviation
with the Statpac program.21
Twenty-one patients with glaucoma (27%) showed no progression with either
scanning laser tomography or conventional perimetry. Fifty-three patients
(69%) showed progression with scanning laser tomography, of whom 22 (42%)
had visual field progression; 25 (32%) showed progression with conventional
perimetry, of whom 22 (88%) had optic disc progression. Overall concordance
between the 2 techniques was attained in 43 patients (56%). A large number
of patients (31 patients [40%]) showed progression with scanning laser tomography
only (Figure 1), while the number
of patients showing progression with conventional perimetry only was much
lower (3 patients [4%]).
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Figure 1. Proportion of study patients showing
no progression, progression with scanning laser tomography (SLT) only, conventional
perimetry (CP) only, or both SLT and CP.
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Of the 22 patients (29%) who showed progression with both scanning laser
tomography and conventional perimetry, 10 (45%) showed progression first with
scanning laser tomography, 9 (41%) showed progression first with conventional
perimetry, and 3 (14%) showed progression at the same time (Figure 2). Of patients showing progression with scanning laser tomography
first, the median delay in progression with conventional perimetry was 18
months, while of those showing progression with conventional perimetry first,
the median delay in progression with scanning laser tomography was 12 months.
The median 6-month difference in the ability of scanning laser tomography
to detect progression earlier in those who had progression with both techniques
was not large enough to reach statistical significance (P = .60, Mann-Whitney test).
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Figure 2. Difference in time to progression
between scanning laser tomography (SLT) and conventional perimetry (CP) in
the 22 patients (29%) who showed progression with both techniques.
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The maximum elevation and maximum reduction in intraocular pressure
from baseline during follow-up in patients classified as stable or progressing
with scanning laser tomography were similar and not statistically significantly
different (Table 1). In addition,
there were no significant group differences in the mean, maximum, SD, or range
of intraocular pressure during the follow-up.
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Table 1. Intraocular Pressure Characteristics* in Patients With Glaucoma
Defined as Stable or Progressing by Scanning Laser Tomography During Follow-up
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Optic disc photographs that were close in time to the baseline scanning
laser tomography examination were available in 16 patients. The mean (±SD)
time difference between these 2 dates was 7.25 (±1.18) months, while
the corresponding value between the last disc photograph and closest scanning
laser tomography examination was 1.31 (±0.34) months. There was independent
agreement (stable or progression) in 9 patients (56%), while a consensus agreement
was necessary in the remaining patients. Concordance between the consensus
agreement and analysis with scanning laser tomography was obtained in 13 patients
(81%) (Table 2). One patient (6%)
showed disc progression with photography only. In this case, change in the
topographic height values in the region where change was seen photographically
was not statistically significant given the relatively high regional test-retest
variability. Two patients (13%) showed progression with scanning laser tomography
only. In both cases, the change occurred within the cup, which was not in
the focal plane of the photograph; hence, while the neuroretinal rim and peripapillary
retina were in focus, the location of the changes was out of focus.
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Table 2. Agreement Rates of Disc Progression by Means of Clinical Judgment
With Disc Photographs and Scanning Laser Tomography
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The following is a representative case report. A 55-year-old woman with
open-angle glaucoma had progressive optic disc cupping documented photographically
before enrollment in the study. The baseline optic disc photograph showed
a thin inferior neuroretinal rim (Figure 3, A). The baseline visual fields (Figure 4) showed a corresponding dense superior arcuate scotoma,
while the inferior hemifield was normal. The final optic disc photograph (Figure 3, B) showed a narrowing of the superior
temporal rim, with independent consensus reached by the 2 observers. The probability
maps with scanning laser tomography during the same time frame detected the
changes seen in the photographs in addition to demonstrating progressive confirmed
changes in almost the whole temporal rim (Figure 4) that are not apparent in the disc photographs. The corresponding
visual fields did not show progression according to the study criteria (Figure 4). The inferior visual field remained
normal.
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Figure 3. A, Right optic disc photograph
of a 55-year-old woman in November 1994 shows a denuded neuroretinal rim inferiorly.
B, The final optic disc photograph (May 1998) shows change in the superior
temporal rim (arrow).
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Figure 4. Scanning laser tomography and
visual field examinations of the same eye shown in Figure 3 during the same
period as the baseline and final optic disc photographs. A, Baseline scanning
laser tomography examinations (first column) with the reflectivity (top) and
topography (bottom) images obtained in May 1995. Baseline visual field examinations
obtained in May and November 1995 show a superior arcuate defect (second and
third columns). The Mean Deviation plot of the follow-up examinations is also
shown (fourth column). B, Follow-up examinations with scanning laser tomography
beginning with the first examination that confirmed progression could be determined
(November 1996) and ending with the examination on the same day as the last
optic disc photograph. Probability symbols are superimposed on the reflectivity
images (magenta indicates significant superpixels with reduction in topographic
height, and green, significant superpixels with elevation in topographic height).
Progression is confirmed in November 1996. Corresponding visual field examinations
were obtained on the same day as the scanning laser tomography examinations
(second and third columns) with change in threshold deviations from baseline
(fourth column) and their change probabilities (fifth column). The visual
field was classified as stable.
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COMMENT
Clinical and scientific evidence suggests that structural changes, including
disc hemorrhages,22-25
nerve fiber layer loss,26-28
and optic disc morphologic changes,26, 29-30
occur before alterations in the visual field are seen on conventional perimetry.
Clinical examination of the optic disc by means of the slitlamp or ophthalmoscope,
although quick, cannot be easily or accurately transcribed for use in the
follow-up of patients. Optic disc photography allows the archiving of slides
or prints and effective evaluation of disc progression in glaucoma; however,
pupil dilation, flash photography, and waiting time make it difficult to undertake
routinely at each visit. Scanning laser tomography offers a theoretically
viable adjunct or alternative to disc photography for the routine follow-up
of patients with glaucoma because of ease of use and immediate access to the
data. The availability of quantitative and objective data is an important
advantage over subjective evaluation of disc photographs. Scanning laser tomography
has been shown to detect small changes in the optic disc after surgical31-33 and medical34-35 intraocular pressure reduction. Furthermore,
with the analysis technique used in this study, changes in optic disc topography
were detected in dogs in whom small alterations in either intraocular or cerebrospinal
fluid pressure were made.36 It is likely that
acute pressure changes around the optic disc do not reflect the type of changes
seen in progressive glaucoma. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to
test the hypothesis that the promising short-term results with scanning laser
tomography could be repeated in a prospective study of patients with glaucoma.
Our technique for detecting changes in optic disc topography relies
on defining test-retest variability in discrete parts (superpixels) of the
area imaged. Changes during follow-up are always gauged on this variability
and defined in probabilistic terms; hence, to attain the same probability
value, change in an area that has inherently high measurement variability
(such as at the edge of the cup) would be greater than that required in an
area with low variability (such as the peripapillary retina).5, 14
Using this approach, we can also define probability limits in a group of healthy
control subjects for the size of cluster whose constituent superpixels repeatably
show changes that are outside the test-retest variability range. We acknowledge
that the control group was not age matched to the patients; however, this
is unlikely to significantly affect our findings, given the independence of
the significant cluster size and age. Obtaining these data empirically in
normal subjects is critical, since we can then determine the significance
of not only the depth but also the area of topographic changes in patients.
The criteria for progression in this study were such that the earliest time
after baseline that changes could be confirmed in the disc and visual field
was identical, ie, 18 months (1 baseline and 3 follow-up examinations with
scanning laser tomography, and 2 baseline and 2 follow-up examinations with
conventional perimetry, each examination being at 6-month intervals).
Our study showed that 69% of patients followed up for a median of 5.5
years showed disc changes that were outside the statistical limits of test-retest
variability determined individually per patient. Furthermore, the area of
change was repeatable over 3 examinations and was outside normal limits. Despite
this conservative approach, the number of patients showing disc changes was
remarkable. The number of patients showing field changes during this period
was considerably lower (32%) and not incompatible with previous reports.37-40 In
many cases, despite the extensive disc changes, there were no field changes
during the follow-up. There are several possible explanations for these findings.
First, optic disc changes precede visual field changes in progressive glaucoma
and, eventually, field progression will follow. A second explanation is one
of scaling, whereby there are more progressive events in the optic disc, not
all of which have a consequence in the visual field, perhaps because the relative
scale to measure perimetric changes is coarser compared with disc changes.
A third explanation is that disc topographic changes may not always represent
neuronal loss but reorganization of the extracellular matrix of the optic
disc or laminar position. Consequently, these structural changes may not necessarily
result in visual field changes. Fourth, the spatial sampling in conventional
visual field testing is coarse. Evidence suggests that, in some cases, visual
field defects that were undetected by conventional stimulus patterns can be
detected by fine grid perimetry at the time structural changes are detected.41 Finally, it is logical to assume that, if optic disc
changes always translate to neuronal loss, there must be a functional consequence
of this loss and our ability to detect the earliest psychophysical changes
in the visual field is not yet optimal. It is possible that receptive field
organization in the retina is redundant with conventional perimetric stimuli.42 Indeed, empiric evidence supports the view that conventional
perimetry is not the most sensitive technique to monitor visual field changes.19, 43-46
Although some persons suspected of having glaucoma with an abnormal disc appearance
have normal results with short-wavelength automated perimetry,47
a systematic longitudinal comparison of the newer perimetric techniques with
scanning laser tomography in progressive glaucoma has not yet been reported.
We showed that, in the patients who showed both disc and field changes,
disc changes were not detected statistically significantly earlier than field
changes. This is an apparently paradoxical finding, given that substantially
more patients showed disc changes only; however, it tends to support the scaling
hypothesis posed herein. Correlating specific progressive events in the optic
disc to those in the visual field may not be an accurate exercise in progressive
glaucoma. In the present study, we attempted to conduct a corresponding spatial
analysis of optic disc and visual field changes and found that the confirmed
disc changes frequently occurred in more than 1 region of the disc. Correlating
these changes to those in the visual field, even though changes may occur
in 1 hemifield, may be misleading; if the changes do not occur at the same
date, it is possible that field changes may be a result of previous disc changes
that were not captured during the follow-up of the patient. Alternatively,
it can be argued in this case that the field changes followed the disc changes.
The latter is feasible in an undamaged field; however, in the case of preexisting
field damage, it may be overly simplistic to attribute a given field change
to a disc change or vice versa. Follow-up studies of patients with glaucoma,
while crucial in our understanding of disease progression and for devising
new techniques to detect the change, typically represent only a relatively
short window during the disease span of a patient.
Since scanning laser tomography has been shown to be very sensitive
to changes in intraocular pressure, we wanted to ensure that the changes observed
in the optic disc were not due to pressure fluctuations in the follow-up and
were hence false-positive findings. Requiring changes to occur in 3 consecutive
examinations would likely eliminate any random effects due to pressure fluctuation,
even if they were present. In addition, we were unable to find any significant
relationship between a variety of pressure variables between patients classified
as stable or progressing by scanning laser tomography, although we are limited
by single measurements made in the clinic. Finally, Topouzis and colleagues33 showed that reduction in optic disc cupping after
trabeculectomy is observed only in the short term and that the cupping indices
return to preoperative values after 4 to 8 months. Because of our criteria
for optic disc progression, it would seem unlikely, both from that study and
from our observations (Table 1),
that those undergoing large reductions in intraocular pressure would necessarily
have a lower progression rate with scanning laser tomography.
The agreement between clinical judgment of disc progression using optic
disc photographs and scanning laser tomography was generally very good (13
of 16 cases). It should be pointed out, however, that the time required to
reach consensus was probably greater than can be afforded in routine clinical
practice. We acknowledge the limitation of this study with respect to its
inability to provide a definitive answer on the merit of scanning laser tomography
when compared with conventional photography because of the relatively small
sample size. We were, however, careful to ensure that the follow-up of these
patients with the 2 imaging techniques overlapped as closely as possible.
In summary, we have shown that small changes in optic disc topography
can be detected by using a previously described analytical technique with
scanning laser tomography. These changes occur more frequently than do visual
field changes and concur with the changes seen with conventional photography.
Clinical trials in glaucoma frequently define end points based on development
of a visual field defect or progression in an already damaged field. While
measurement of the visual field with conventional perimetry remains the most
important functional variable in glaucoma, there are several important limitations.
First, long follow-up periods, often spanning many years, are required. Second,
many examinations may be required to confirm the end point48-49
and detect meaningful changes.50 Finally, there
is increasing evidence that conventional perimetry may not be the most sensitive
method of monitoring the visual field in glaucoma. While evaluation of the
visual field should remain an important method of monitoring patients, particularly
with the newer psychophysical tests such as short-wavelength, automated, high-pass
resolution and frequency doubling perimetry, focus should now be directed
toward the real potential of scanning laser tomography as an alternative both
to conventional disc photography and to traditional end points in clinical
trials. The challenge with scanning laser tomography, as with any new technique,
is to translate the empirical findings to clinical significance and to provide
practical clinical guidelines to use the technique effectively in the management
of patients with glaucoma.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Accepted for publication April 11, 2001.
This study was supported by grant MT-11357 from the Canadian Institutes
of Health Research, Ottawa, Ontario.
The authors are grateful to Gerhard Zinser, PhD, for providing some
of the computer software used in this study.
Corresponding author and reprints: Balwantray C. Chauhan, PhD, Eye
Care Centre, 2nd Floor, Centennial Bldg, 1278 Tower Rd, Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada B3H 2Y9 (e-mail: bal{at}is.dal.ca).
From the Departments of Ophthalmology (Drs Chauhan, Nicolela, and LeBlanc
and Ms McCormick) and Physiology and Biophysics (Dr Chauhan), Dalhousie University,
Halifax, Nova Scotia. The authors have no proprietary interest in any of the
instruments or techniques reported in the manuscript.
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