Evaluation of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness and Ganglion Cell Complex Progression Rates in Healthy, Ocular...

To determine retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) progression rates for healthy eyes and undertreatment ocular hypertensive (OHT) and glaucoma eyes with the Avanti RTVue-XR optical coherence tomography.

Seventeen healthy subjects (34 eyes), 17 medically treated OHT patients (34 eyes), and 67 medically treated glaucoma patients (122 eyes) were imaged prospectively at 6-month intervals (median follow-up 5.3 y, 11 visits).

A minimal negative correlation between baseline RNFLT and RNFLT progression was found in the glaucoma group (r=-0.1708, P=0.0493). In the other groups no correlation between baseline RNFLT or GCC and RNFLT or GCC progression was found, respectively. The mean±SD of the rate of change was -0.33±0.51, -0.44±0.62, and -0.69±0.93 μm/y for average RNFLT, and -0.53±0.36, -0.54±0.52, and -0.80±0.78 for average GCC, for the normal, OHT, and glaucoma eyes, respectively (P>0.05 for all between-group comparisons). In the normal group the highest progression rate was -1.52 μm/y for average RNFLT and -1.28 μm/y for average GCC. Despite maximal medical treatment, progression in the glaucoma group exceeded the highest progression rate of the normal group in 18 eyes (14.8%) for average RNFLT and 24 eyes (19.7%) for average GCC.

We determined progression rates for untreated healthy and under treatment OHT and glaucoma eyes with the Avanti RTVue-XR optical coherence tomography. We found that an average RNFLT progression rate faster than -1.5 μm/y, and an average GCC progression rate faster than -1.3 μm/y are strongly suggestive for uncontrolled glaucomatous progression. Detection of uncontrolled structural progression with trend analysis may assist the early detection of fast progressors.