The association between photoreceptor layer thickness measured by optical coherence tomography and visual sensitivity in glaucomatous eyes

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>To assess the thickness of the photoreceptor layer in the macular region in glaucomatous eyes.</p><p>Method</p><p>Humphrey 10–2 visual field (VF) testing was carried out and mean threshold (mTH) was calculated in 118 eyes from 118 patients with open angle glaucoma. Macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements (RS 3000, Nidek Co.ltd., Aichi, Japan) were also carried out in all eyes. Thickness measurements were recorded in the outer segment and retinal pigment epithelium (OS+RPE), the nerve fiber layer (NFL), the ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer (GCL+IPL), the inner nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer (INL+OPL) and the outer nuclear layer and inner segment (ONL+IS). The relationship between mTH and the thickness of these five different layers was investigated. Additionally, the influence of OS+RPE on mTH was investigated using partial correlation eliminating the effect of other variables of NFL, GCL+IPL, INL+OPL, ONL+IS, age, gender and axial length.</p><p>Results</p><p>The thickness of the OS+RPE layer was significantly decreased with the decrease of mTH (coefficient = 0.63 p <0.001). Partial correlation analysis suggested OS+RPE thickness is significantly (coefficient = 0.31, p <0.001) related to mTH, independent from NFL, GCL+IPL, INL+OPL, ONL+IS, age, gender and axial length.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The thickness of the RPE+OS layer appears to be related to visual sensitivity in glaucoma.</p></div

Subjects demographics and comparison of variables between groups.

<p>Subjects demographics and comparison of variables between groups.</p

Macular retinal layer thickness measurements in a sample case.

<p>NFL: nerve fiber layer, GCL+IPL: ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer, INL: inner nuclear layer, OPL: outer plexiform layer, ONL+IS: outer nuclear layer and inner segment layer: OS+RPE outer segment layer and retinal pigment epithelium.</p

The relationship between retinal layer thickness measurements and mTH (each thickness was analyzed in a separate linear model).

<p>The relationship between retinal layer thickness measurements and mTH (each thickness was analyzed in a separate linear model).</p

The relationship between retinal layer thickness measurements and mTH.

<p>The relationship between retinal layer thickness measurements and mTH was investigated. a: NFL (coefficient = 0.37, p <0.001), b: GCL+IPL (coefficient = 0.41, p <0.001), c: INL+OPL (coefficient = 0.39, p = 0.015) and e: OS+RPE (coefficient = 0.63, p <0.001) were significantly related to mTH however, a significant relationship was not observed between d: ONL+IS and mTH (coefficient = -0.10, p = 0.41). mTH: mean threshold, NFL: nerve fiber layer, GCL+IPL: ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer, INL+OPL: inner nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer, ONL+IS: outer nuclear layer and inner segment layer: OS+RPE outer segment layer and retinal pigment epithelium.</p

The relationship between retinal layer thickness measurements and mTH (all thickness measurements were analyzed in the same linear model).

<p>The relationship between retinal layer thickness measurements and mTH (all thickness measurements were analyzed in the same linear model).</p

The relationship between RPE+OS thickness and age, axial length and gender.

<p>The relationship between RPE+OS thickness and age, axial length and gender.</p

Choroidal structure as a biomarker for visual acuity in intravitreal aflibercept therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>To investigate the relationship between choroidal structure and visual acuity after intravitreal aflibercept therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).</p><p>Methods</p><p>We conducted a retrospective, single-centre and observational study including 18 eyes of 18 patients with PCV (73.8 ± 10.2 years of age) who were treated with three monthly intravitreal aflibercept injections followed by additional treatments in a treat-and-extend protocol. The cross-sectional images of the macula were obtained with enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography at baseline, at 3 months, and at 12 months. The choroidal layer was divided into luminal or stromal segments by applying binarization processing to calculate these areas. The relationships between age, spherical equivalent, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), baseline value, or changes in the luminal or the stromal areas, and the BCVA change at 12 months were analysed using multiple regression analyses and model selection procedures.</p><p>Results</p><p>Both stromal and luminal areas were decreased at 3 and 12 months compared to baseline areas (5% and 9% at 3 months, 6% and 12% at 12 months, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Greater improvement of visual acuity (VA) at 12 months was significantly associated with younger age, greater spherical equivalent, worse baseline BCVA, greater baseline luminal area, and smaller baseline stromal area.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Choroidal structure might be useful as a new biomarker for potential Visual outcomes after intravitreal aflibercept therapy for PCV.</p></div

Assessing Visual Fields in Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa Using a Novel Microperimeter with Eye Tracking: The MP-3

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>The purpose of the current study is to investigate the test-retest reproducibility of visual fields (VFs) measured with the MP-3 microperimeter, in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).</p><p>Method</p><p>VFs were twice measured with the MP-3 and also the Humphrey Field Analyzer, using the 10–2 test grid pattern in both perimeters, in 30 eyes (15 right and 15 left eyes) of 18 RP patients (11 males and 7 females). Test-retest reproducibility was assessed using the mean absolute deviation (MAD) measure at all 68 points in the test grid. Reproducibility was also evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of VF sensitivities.</p><p>Result</p><p>The mean sensitivity measured in the HFA 10–2 was significantly higher than that measured in the MP-3 in both the first and second VF tests (p <0.0001, linear mixed model). The MAD was 2.4±0.6 [1.1 to 3.6] dB for MP-3 and 2.4±0.9 [1.1 to 5.1] dB for HFA 10–2, which was not significantly different (p = 0.76, linear mixed model). The ICC value associated with the MP-3 VFs was 0.81±0.13 [0.49 to 0.98], which was significantly larger than that observed for the HFA 10–2 VFs: 0.77±0.19 [0.20 to 0.94] (p = 0.043, linear mixed model).</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>The MP-3 microperimeter appears to be useful to evaluate central visual function in RP eyes, exhibiting test-retest reproducibility that is equal to, or better than, that observed in HFA 10–2 VFs.</p></div

Comparison of ICC values between MP-3 and HFA 10–2 The ICC values associated with the MP-3 between the first and second measurements were 0.81±0.13 [0.49 to 0.98] which was significantly larger than that with HFA 10–2: 0.77±0.19 [0.20 to 0.94] (p = 0.043, linear mixed model).

<p>ICC: Intraclass correlation coefficient, HFA: Humphrey Field Analyzer</p