A PRACTICAL AND SIMPLIFIED METHOD FOR STRUCTURE-FUNCTION ANALYSIS IN PATIENTS WITH GLAUCOMA AND RETINAL DISEASE.

PURPOSE: To describe an accessible method of structure-function correlation using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and virtual reality perimetry (VRP) for patients with retinal disease and glaucoma and to compare results with those of conventional Humphrey visual fields (HVFs).

METHODS

Patients with a diagnosis of glaucoma involving the central visual field or macula-involving retinal disease were recruited. Patients underwent ophthalmic examination followed by OCT imaging, HVF, and VRP testing. Both HVF and VRP results were compared with OCT scans to identify areas of visual field abnormality and their corresponding structural deficits. The correlation between HVF and VRP findings was evaluated.

RESULTS

Thirty-six eyes of 21 patients were included as part of this study. Virtual reality perimetry was able to reliably identify visual field deficits that correlated with structural abnormalities on OCT in patients with both glaucoma involving the central visual field and complex macula-involving retinal pathology. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was 0.83 ( P < 0.001) for mean deviation and 0.85 ( P < 0.001) for pattern SD between VRP and HVF.

CONCLUSION

The combination of VRP and OCT allows for practical and accurate structure-function correlation of complex retinal disease and glaucoma. This approach is particularly valuable in identifying the contributions of confounding glaucoma and retinal disease in patients with multiple disorders.