Central Glaucomatous Damage of the Macula Can Be Overlooked by Conventional OCT Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Analyses.

Purpose: To assess the extent to which glaucomatous damage of the macula can be detected using the summary statistics of a commercial report based upon the circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL) thickness obtained with frequency domain optical coherence tomography (fdOCT).

Methods: One hundred forty-three eyes of 143 open-angle glaucoma patients and suspects (56.4 ± 13.8 years) had 10-2 visual fields (VFs) and fdOCT macular and disc cube scans. RNFL and retinal ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer thickness and probability maps were generated and combined with 10-2 VF information in a single-page, custom report previously described. Three graders evaluated these reports and classified each eye as "abnormal macula" or "normal macula." Commercially available fdOCT reports for cpRNFL thickness were generated using the automatic segmentation algorithm and norms from the machine. The ability of the reports to detect macular damage was analyzed in three ways: temporal quadrant (TQ) < 5%; TQ < 5% or clock hour 7 < 1% (TQ + CH7); and clock hours 7 through 10 with two sectors < 5% or one sector < 1% (CH7-10).

Results: Sixty-one (43%) eyes were classified "abnormal macula" and 41 (29%) as "normal macula"; the 10-2 VFs and OCT probability maps did not agree in the remaining eyes. Of the 61 abnormal eyes, the TQ criterion missed 47 (77%); TQ + CH7 missed 24 (39%); and CH7-10 missed 22 (36%).

Conclusions: Conventional cpRNFL analyses on commercial OCT reports can miss macular (central field) damage.

Translational Relevance: To detect glaucomatous damage of the macula, additional tests, such as macular cube scans and/or 10-2 VFs, should be performed.