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Assessment of structural changes suggested for following glaucoma patients
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DANA POINT, Calif. — A growing body of evidence suggests that structural changes in the optic disc are indicative of glaucoma progression, according to a speaker here at the Ocular Drug and Surgical Therapy Update meeting.
Studies have shown that certain nerve fiber layer and optic nerve head changes are indicative of the disease, said Christopher A. Girkin, MD.
The currently most common method of documenting glaucoma progression, standard automated perimetry, is “problematic because there is a high level of variability and it is a poor sensor of progression,” Dr. Girkin said.
He added that perception of test targets changes with repeated perimetry, even in normal patients. These perception changes are increasingly variable in patients with glaucomatous damage. Studies have shown that visual field abnormalities identified in some patients were not confirmed on follow-up testing, he said.
Dr. Girkin cited a study by Harry Quigley, MD, that showed a correlation between functional loss and ganglion cell loss in humans. More longitudinal studies are needed to better understand their relationship to disease progression, he said.