Longitudinal evaluation of RTVue optical coherence tomography in patients with glaucoma and suspected glaucoma and stable visual fields.

Purpose: To longitudinally compare isolated structural parameters obtained using RTVue optical coherence tomography in patients with glaucoma and suspected glaucoma with stable visual fields.

Methods: All patients were required to have a reliable SITA Standard 24-2 Humphrey Visual Field test. Visual field stability was defined as having <5 points with p<5% and/or having no points with p<1% and/or p<0.05% in the glaucoma progression analysis comparison graph. Furthermore, the glaucoma assessment strategy was used in optical coherence tomography.

Results: The study included 75 eyes from 75 patients, 43 of which had glaucoma and 32 had suspected glaucoma. The mean visual field intervals were 29.57 ± 9.65 months between the first and third tests. No visual field parameter variations (mean deviation, pattern standard deviation, and visual field index) and no retinal nerve fiber layer or optic disk parameter variations between the first and third tests were observed (p>0.05 for all), and no retinal nerve fiber layer parameter variations throughout the study were observed, except for optic disk parameters presenting with cup volume changes (p=0.004). However, ganglion complex cells presented a progressively decreased average ganglion cell complex parameter, with a variability of -0.98% ± 3.71% (p=0.04) between the first and third tests. By contrast, the global loss volume progressively increased throughout the study, with a variability of 14.71% ± 44.52% (p=0.04) between the first and third tests. The inferior ganglion cell complex parameter was significantly decreased between the first and third tests (p=0.02).

Conclusion: The present findings suggest that patients with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma with stable visual fields may present structural ganglion complex cell progression as assessed using RTVue optical coherence tomography.