Early Detection of Primary Open Angle, Angle Closure, and Normal Tension Glaucoma in an Asian Population Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

Prcis: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) facilitates early glaucoma detection in the Chinese population in Taiwan. The best parameters for primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), normal tension glaucoma (NTG), and suspected glaucoma (GS) detection are temporal inferior Bruch's membrane opening-minimum rim width (BMO-MRW), inner temporal macular ganglion cell layer (mGCL), temporal superior Circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL), and mean global BMO-MRW, respectively.

Purpose: We investigated the diagnostic capability of SD-OCT for different types of early glaucoma among the Chinese population in Taiwan.

Participants and methods: One eye each was assessed from 113 individuals with healthy eyes, 125 individuals with suspected glaucoma (GS), and 156 patients with early glaucoma (POAG, 87; PACG, 50; and NTG, 19). Circumpapillary (cp) RNFL thickness (global and sectoral), BMO-MRW, and macular parameters, including the macular RNFL (mRNFL), mGCL, and macular inner plexiform layer (mIPL), were assessed using SD-OCT. The areas under receiver operator characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic capacity of the parameters to differentiate between healthy and early glaucomatous eyes.

Results: The parameters most suitable for detecting early POAG, PACG, NTG, and GS were temporal inferior BMO-MRW (AUC, 0.847), inner temporal mGCL (AUC, 0.770), temporal superior cpRNFL (AUC, 0.861), and mean global BMO-MRW (AUC, 0.768), respectively. Among the macular parameters, the mGCL exhibited the highest diagnostic capacity. The diagnostic capacity of the mGCL was lower than that of cpRNFL and BMO-MRW for POAG and NTG but not PACG. After adjusting for confounding variables in multivariable analysis, the AUC was determined to be 0.935 for POAG and 0.787 for GS.

Conclusion: SD-OCT facilitates the detection of early POAG, PACG, and NTG. Using a combination of cpRNFL, BMO-MRW, and macular parameters may enhance their diagnostic capacities. Further studies are necessary to validate these findings.