Nerve fiber analysis and optic disc parameters with the glaucoma-scope

We evaluated the ability of optic disc parameters and nerve fiber analysis with the Glaucoma-scope to distinguish glaucoma from normal or hypertensive eyes.

Glaucoma-scope examination was performed on 68 eyes of 44 patients split into following groups based on Humphrey 24-2 visual field and clinical criteria of glaucoma: normal eyes (n = 17), ocular hypertension (n = 19), early glaucoma (n = 17), moderately advanced glaucoma (n = 15). The contour of the juxta papillary nerve fiber layers was measured in the four groups. We also evaluated a global index as the mean disc depth corrected for the disc size by dividing by the disc area (MP/D).

We found a statistical difference (p < 0.001) between the four groups with the global index MP/D: normal eyes MP/D = -17.42, hypertensive eyes MP/D = -26.34, early glaucoma MP/D = -82.33, moderately advanced glaucoma MP/D = -99.69. We also found a statistical difference between the first two groups (normal visual field) compared to the two glaucoma groups for the mean fiber layer height in the superior and the inferior quadrant.

Nerve fiber analysis and optic nerve head index calculated with the Glaucoma-scope could prove to be an interesting tool for glaucoma diagnosis and follow-up.