Relationship between standard automated perimetry and retinal nerve fiber layer parameters obtained with optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) parameters obtained using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the outcome of standard automated perimetry (SAP) in normal, ocular hypertensive, glaucoma suspect, and glaucomatous patients.

METHODS

Four hundred twenty-three patients were enrolled in the study and classified based on basal intraocular pressure, optic nerve head morphology, and SAP results into 4 groups: 87 normal eyes, 192 ocular hypertensive eyes, 70 glaucoma suspects, and 74 glaucomatous eyes. In the different diagnostic groups, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between RNFL parameters and visual field indices, number of points altered at different probability levels, and threshold values at each SAP point.

RESULTS

In the normal and ocular hypertensive groups, very few mild correlations were found between the OCT parameters and SAP results. The strength and number of significant correlations was increased in the glaucoma suspect group. In the glaucoma group, the correlations were stronger, particularly between the inferior RNFL parameters and the superior hemifield.

CONCLUSIONS

The greater the visual field damage, the stronger the correlations between OCT and SAP. There was mild-to-moderate agreement between the structural and functional data assessed by OCT and SAP in glaucoma patients.