Optical coherence tomography and scanning laser polarimetry in normal, ocular hypertensive, and glaucomatous eyes

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between visual function and retinal n erve fiber layer measurements obtained with scanning laser polarimetry and optical coherence tomography in a masked, prospective trial. METHODS: Consecutive normal, ocular hypertensive, and glaucomatous subjects who met inclusion and exclusion criteria were evaluated. Complete ophthalm ologic examination, disk photography, scanning laser polarimetry, optical c oherence tomography, and automated achromatic perimetry were performed. RESULTS: Seventy-eight eyes of 78 patients (17 normal, 23 ocular hypertensi ve, and 38 glaucomatous) were enrolled (mean age, 56.8 +/- 11.5 years; rang e, 26 to 75 years). Eyes with glaucoma had significantly greater neural net work scores on scanning laser polarimetry and lower maximum modulation, ell ipse modulation, and mean retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured with optical coherence tomography compared with normal and ocular hypertensive eyes, respectively (all P < .005). Significant associations were observed b etween neural network number (r = -.51, r = .03), maximum modulation (r = . 39, r = -.32), ellipse modulation (r = .36, r= -.28), and optical coherence tomography-generated retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (r = .68, r = -.5 9) and visual field mean deviation and corrected pattern standard deviation , respectively. All scanning laser polarimetry parameters were significantl y associated with optical coherence tomography-generated retinal nerve fibe r layer thickness. CONCLUSION: Optical coherence tomography and scanning laser polarimetry wer e capable of differentiating glaucomatous from nonglaucomatous populations in this cohort; however considerable measurement overlap was observed among normal, ocular hypertensive, and glaucomatous eyes. Retinal nerve fiber la yer structural measurements demonstrated good correlation with visual funct ion, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness by optical coherence tomograph y correlated with retardation measurements by scanning laser polarimetry. ( Am J Ophthalmol 2000;129:129-135. (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rig hts reserved.)