[Diagnostic ability of stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT) in pre-perimetric glaucoma diagnosis].

Objective: To compare retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurements performed with Stratus OCT 3000 in normal, ocular hypertensive, pre-perimetric and glaucomatous eyes.

Methods: 98 normal subjects, 156 ocular hypertensives with short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP), 21 ocular hypertensives with altered SWAP (pre-perimetric glaucoma) and 66 glaucomatous eyes were included in the study. Diagnostic groups were classified based on intraocular pressure, optic nerve head appearance, achromatic automatic perimetry and SWAP. RNFL parameters were obtained using a Stratus OCT 3000 (Humphrey Zeiss instruments). RNFL measurements were compared among the groups.

Results: RNFL average thickness, superior, inferior and nasal quadrant thickness, and each 12 clock-hour positions except for H9, H10 and H11 showed significant differences between glaucomatous and pre-perimetric glaucoma eyes. RNFL average thickness, inferior quadrant and H10 clock-hour position showed significant differences between normal and ocular hypertensive subjects. Pre-perimetric glaucomas and ocular hypertensives showed differences in H11 clock-hour position exclusively.

Conclusion: RNFL measurements performed using Stratus OCT showed differences between the study groups. OCT may be as useful as SWAP in early glaucoma diagnosis.