Sectorwise Visual Field Simulation Using Optical Coherence Tomographic Angiography Nerve Fiber Layer Plexus...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Glaucoma Research

Background:

• Glaucoma evaluation relies on visual field (VF) testing, which can be time-consuming and challenging to interpret.
• Optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCTA) provides detailed imaging of retinal vasculature, offering potential new metrics for disease assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simulate 24-2 visual fields (VF) using OCTA data for glaucoma assessment.
• To evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of OCTA-derived metrics compared to standard VF testing.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 39 glaucoma patients and 31 controls.
• OCTA scans of the optic disc were used to measure peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer plexus capillary density (NFLP-CD).
• NFLP-CD was converted into simulated VF deviation maps and compared with actual 24-2 VF maps.

Main Results:

• Simulated VF maps from OCTA showed high agreement (97%) with actual VF locations, particularly in the same hemisphere.
• NFLP mean deviation (NFLP-MD) demonstrated better between-visit reproducibility (0.63 dB) than VF mean deviation (VF-MD) (1.03 dB).
• NFLP-MD exhibited significantly higher sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy than VF-MD and overall NFL thickness.

Conclusions:

• OCTA-based simulated VF accurately reflects glaucoma damage location and severity, though it may underestimate severe cases.
• NFLP-MD offers superior reproducibility and diagnostic accuracy, suggesting its potential for enhanced glaucoma monitoring and early detection.
• OCTA-derived metrics hold promise for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of glaucoma diagnosis and management.