Abstract
Background and Objectives: Neveropthy of visual never in glaucoma is clearified by Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. Primery open angle glaucoma resulted in functional and structural damage. The main objective of this study is quantifying the pattern of retinal nerve fiber layer loss in primary open angle glaucoma using optical coherence tomography.
Materials and methods: Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was assessed with circular scan (Radius=1.73mm) in 30 eye with primary open angle glaucoma and is age and refractive error matched normal control. Glaucomatous patients were divided into three subgrups according to their visual field mean deviation:
early (>-3dB), Moderate (-3 to -7 dB), and Moderately advanced (-7 to -15 dB).
Results: Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness values in inferotemporal and supratemporal were significantlly lower in all groups of glaucomatous eyes than in normal eyes (p<0.001). In early stage, inferotmporal thickness was significantlly lower than supratemporal (p<0.001).
Conclusion: In addition to diffuse Retinal nerve fiber layer loss, a localized defect was present in infero temporal quadrant in early stage of POAG. This study shows that optical coherence tomography (OCT 2) was able to show the location and extent of injury of retinal nerve fiber layer, which is consistent with other standard studies such as computerized perimetery.