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Scanning laser imaging of the optic disc not a substitute for stereo photography
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Stereo photography of the optic disc remains the gold standard against which other imaging methods are evaluated, according to George H. Tanaka, MD.
The advantages of stereo disc photography include objectivity and reproducibility and the fact that it is the only method for recording a true color image of the optic nerve head, Dr. Tanaka said here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. In addition, comparison of serial images allows the detection of subtle changes in the optic nerve head over time, he added.
Dr. Tanaka said that while scanning laser imaging of the optic disc may be useful for detecting changes in optic nerve head structure in early glaucoma before damage is evident on perimetry, further longitudinal studies are needed to validate the clinical use of these imaging devices in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma. However, Dr. Tanaka added that by the time those longitudinal studies are complete, the technology may be obsolete, mainly since technology advances at a faster rate than optic nerves are affected by glaucoma.