Effect of baseline test selection on glaucoma progression detection by optical coherence tomography-guided...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Glaucoma Research

Background:

• Glaucoma progression is monitored using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
• OCT-guided progression analysis (GPA) aids in detecting structural changes.
• Accurate progression detection relies on appropriate baseline testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess how baseline test selection influences glaucoma progression detection.
• To evaluate the impact on circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) measurements.
• To understand the effect on OCT-guided progression analysis (GPA).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 53 glaucomatous eyes with documented RNFL or GCIPL progression.
• Creation of three baseline test sets from eight serial OCT scans per eye.
• Comparison of progression detection agreement across different baseline selections using OCT-GPA.

Main Results:

• Agreement on progression detection varied by measurement type and baseline selection.
• RNFL 'thickness map progression' showed 47.1% agreement, 'thickness profiles' 20.0%, and 'average thickness' 31.0%.
• GCIPL 'thickness map progression' had 53.8% agreement, and 'average thickness' 62.8%. Eyes with disagreement exhibited greater thickness changes.

Conclusions:

• Baseline test selection significantly affects glaucoma progression detection via OCT-GPA.
• GCIPL thickness measurements are less susceptible to baseline selection variability than RNFL.
• Careful consideration of baseline data is crucial for reliable glaucoma progression monitoring.