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Hanna Maria Öhnell, MD, PhD

Hanna Maria Öhnell

Specialist physician

Hanna Maria Öhnell, MD, PhD

Ageing and glaucoma progression of the retinal nerve fibre layer using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography analysis

Author

  • Hanna Maria Öhnell
  • Anders Heijl
  • Boel Bengtsson

Summary, in English

Purpose: To compare the effects of ageing and glaucoma progression on the thickness of the circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (cpRNFL) and to evaluate the performance of a set of optical coherence tomography (OCT) progression analyses. Methods: The cpRNFL was measured twice by OCT at each of two visits made 10 years apart in 69 healthy individuals and 49 glaucoma patients. Both visits also included Humphrey 24-2 SITA standard testing. The change in cpRNFL thickness was analysed by linear regression, and a sub-analysis was performed on glaucoma patients with a perimetric mean deviation better than −10 dB at the first visit. The proportion of individuals whose OCT progression analyses indicated progression was also evaluated for the same groups. Results: The average cpRNFL thickness deteriorated by a mean of −0.16 μm/year in the healthy cohort, increased by 0.03 μm/year in the glaucoma cohort, and deteriorated by −0.24 μm/year in eyes with less severe glaucoma; there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. For 17 (30%) of 56 healthy individuals, at least one of the three different OCT progression analyses incorrectly indicated progression. Conclusions: No significant differences in change of cpRNFL thickness between visits were found when comparing healthy subjects with glaucoma patients. Also, further cpRNFL thinning was not observed in glaucomatous eyes in which at least one-third of the visual field had been lost. The OCT progression analyses generated a relatively high proportion of false positives. Using OCT for glaucoma follow-up may not be entirely straightforward.

Department/s

  • Ophthalmology (Malmö)
  • EpiHealth: Epidemiology for Health

Publishing year

2021-05-01

Language

English

Pages

260-268

Publication/Series

Acta Ophthalmologica

Volume

99

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Ophthalmology

Keywords

  • ageing
  • glaucoma
  • Guided Progression Analysis
  • OCT
  • perimetry
  • progression
  • retinal nerve fibre layer thickness
  • visual fields

Status

Published

Research group

  • Ophthalmology (Malmö)

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1755-375X