Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography of Retinal Circulation
Published on: September 18, 2012
Evaluation of a Qualitative Approach for Detecting Glaucomatous Progression Using Wide-Field Optical Coherence
Zhichao Wu1,2,3, Denis S D Weng1, Rashmi Rajshekhar1
1Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Purpose:
To determine the effectiveness of detecting glaucomatous progression by a qualitative evaluation of wide-field (12 × 9 mm) scans on optical coherence tomography imaging. This method was compared to a conventional quantitative analysis of the global circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL) thickness.
Methods:
A total of 409 eyes with a clinical diagnosis of glaucoma or suspected glaucoma for which two wide-field scans were obtained at least 1 year apart (n = 125) and within one session (n = 284) were included to determine the sensitivity of detecting progression at 95% specificity. Qualitative OCT evaluation was performed in a similar manner to flicker chronoscopy by superimposing the two scans, and the progression probability was graded. A quantitative event-based analysis of the global cpRNFL thickness also was performed.
Results:
Thirty-three and 25 eyes were deemed to have progressed based on qualitative and quantitative approaches, respectively (P = 0.152). A post hoc review of cases where the two methods disagreed revealed that all eyes missed by the quantitative analysis had established glaucomatous damage that appeared to show characteristic patterns of progression. All eyes missed by the qualitative evaluation appeared to be free of such established damage, and instead showed a generalized reduction in cpRNFL thickness.
Conclusions:
Qualitative evaluation of OCT imaging information more frequently detected change consistent with known patterns of glaucomatous progression than global cpRNFL thickness, warranting further studies to evaluate its value.
Translational Relevance:
A framework for qualitatively evaluating progressive glaucomatous changes on OCT imaging clinically shows promise.
More Related Videos
12:22Multimodal Volumetric Retinal Imaging by Oblique Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy oSLO and Optical Coherence Tomography OCT
Published on: August 4, 2018
06:19In Vivo Imaging of Cx3cr1gfp/gfp Reporter Mice with Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy
Published on: November 11, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Qualitative Analysis
For instance, group IV...
Qualitative Analysis
There are two main approaches to qualitative analysis:...
Leaky Scanning
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...