Language: English
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Page: 286-291
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Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia
Vol 67 - N 5 - 2004

Detection of retinal nerve fiber layer changes in ocular hypertension with scanning laser polarimetry before the appearance of perimetric defects
Lauande-Pimentel, Roberto; Barton, Keith; Poinoosawmy, Darmaligun; Maino, Anna; Heath, Ted Garway; Hitchings, Roger
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of the Confocal Scanning Laser Polarimeter (SLP) to detect glaucoma alterations before the appearance of perimetric defects. Design- retrospective, case-control. METHODS: Ocular hipertensive patients divided in to two groups: a) stable and b) conversors (that have conversed to perimetric defined glaucoma). Nerve Fiber Analyser/GDx parameters of retardation. RESULTS: A total of 108 stable and 13 conversors were evaluated for a mean period over 35 months in each group. At the initial examination, several SLP parameters detected significant differences retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in stable and converter groups (a mean of 27.4 months before the appearance of perimetric lesion). The Number, Maximum Modulation and Superior Average remained different between the groups at the initial and final examination. The odds ratio for perimetric conversion, giving a altered The Number result (›32), was estimated at 7.9 in this series. CONCLUSION: The SLP was capable of detecting significant RNFL alterations in the group of ocular hipertensive patients who developed a characteristic glaucomatous perimetric lesion. In this study an initial abnormal The Number result was a significant risk factor for the development future glaucomatous perimetric defect in ocular hipertensive patients.