Outer retinal layer thickness in patients with glaucoma with horizontal hemifield visual field defects.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
• Characterized by progressive optic nerve damage and visual field loss.
• Impact on retinal layer thickness is crucial for understanding disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of glaucoma on outer retinal layer thickness.
• To analyze inner and outer retinal layer asymmetry in glaucomatous eyes with horizontal hemifield visual field defects.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of glaucomatous eyes with specific horizontal hemifield visual field defects.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) used to measure retinal layer thickness.
• Calculated intraindividual asymmetry between perimetrically normal and abnormal hemimacula.

Main Results:

• Inner retinal layers (nerve fiber, ganglion cell, inner plexiform) were significantly thinner in abnormal hemimacula.
• Inner nuclear layer showed a slight increase in thickness in abnormal hemimacula.
• Outer retinal layers (outer plexiform, outer nuclear, photoreceptor) showed negligible asymmetry.

Conclusions:

• Glaucoma does not affect outer retinal layer thickness.
• Significant thinning observed in inner retinal layers due to glaucoma.
• Findings emphasize glaucoma's selective impact on inner retinal structures.