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. 1997 Oct;81(10):857–861. doi: 10.1136/bjo.81.10.857

Scanning laser polarimetry of the retinal nerve fibre layer in primary open angle and capsular glaucoma

G Hollo 1, I Suveges 1, A Nagymihaly 1, P Vargha 1
PMCID: PMC1722021  PMID: 9486026

Abstract

AIMS—To evaluate the clinical value of scanning laser polarimetry with the nerve fibre analyser type II in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and capsular glaucoma.
METHODS—Scanning laser polarimetry was performed on one eye of 30 patients suffering from POAG, 25 patients suffering from capsular glaucoma, and on 35 healthy control subjects. The retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness values were compared among the groups. Reproducibility of the measurements was calculated and the influence of pilocarpine induced miosis on the results was investigated.
RESULTS—RNFL thickness in the superior and inferior sectors, as well as along the total circumference was significantly lower in both glaucoma groups than in the control eyes (p<0.05). None of the thickness values differed between the two glaucoma groups. Reproducibility was comparable in all groups; the coefficient of variation varied between 3.0% and 8.9% for the different sectors investigated. Miosis had no significant impact either on the thickness values or on the reproducibility (p>0.05).
CONCLUSION—The results suggest that scanning laser polarimetry is a useful method for nerve fibre layer analysis in glaucoma, and that it is not influenced by the pupil size.



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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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Scanning laser polarimetric image of a healthy eye (75-year-old female). The typical double hump of the nerve fibres is present (right image and diagram). Mean RNFL thickness values: 64.5 µm for the total circumference, 78.1 µm for the superior, 38.1 µm for the temporal, 85.8 µm for the inferior, and 54.3 µm for the nasal retinal quadrant.

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

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Scanning laser polarimetric image of an eye suffering from primary open angle glaucoma (73-year-old male). The nerve fibre loss is more advanced in the inferior quadrant, and corresponds to the notches in the neuroretinal rim (left image, arrows). Mean RNFL thickness values: 51.0 µm for the total circumference, 55.7 µm for the superior, 45.4 µm for the temporal, 55.3 µm for the inferior, and 47.4 µm for the nasal retinal quadrant.

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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