Macular ganglion cell complex thickness in glaucoma with superior or inferior visual hemifield defects

To elucidate the relationship between the macular ganglion cell complex thickness (GCCT) and its corresponding superior or inferior visual hemifield defects, and the apparently normal visual hemifield, and to explore the relationship between the macular GCCT of the corresponding apparently normal hemifield and the severity of the glaucomatous visual field defects in the same eye.

Sixty-seven eyes of 67 patients with open-angle glaucoma showed superior or inferior hemifield defects. We measured the visual field using the Humphrey Field Analyzer programs Central 30-2 and 10-2, and the GCCT using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. For the GCCT measurement, we selected 3 points each in the inner or outer sectors of the parafovea.

We observed a significant correlation between the macular GCCT of the inner or outer sector of the parafovea and in the change of the visual field in each hemifield defect or the apparently normal hemifield. The decrease of the GCCT corresponding to the apparently normal hemifield correlated with the progression of the severity of the glaucomatous defects, using the Anderson classification.

The macular GCCT is a sensitive marker of early glaucomatous change, allowing detection of structural changes associated with glaucoma even in the apparently normal hemifield.