Comparison of Schlemm's canal's biological parameters in primary open-angle glaucoma and normal human eyes with swept...

ABSTRACT. Thirty-seven normal and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) subjects were noninvasively imaged by a tailor-made real-time anterior segment swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) to demonstrate the differences of the Schlemm's canal (SC) between POAG and normal eyes. After the cross-section images of the anterior chamber angle were acquired by SS-OCT, SC was confirmed by two independent masked observers and the average area, long diameter, and perimeter of the SC were measured. In normal subjects the circumference, area, and long diameter is 580.34±87.81  μm, 8023.89±1486.10  μm2, and 272.83±49.39  μm, respectively, and these parameters were 393.25±98.04  μm, 3941.50±1210.69  μm2, and 190.91±46.47  μm in the POAG subjects. The area of SC in the normal ones was significantly larger than that in POAG eyes (p<0.001), so as the long diameter and the perimeter (p<0.001; p<0.001).