Baseline structural characteristics of the optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layer are associated with progressive visual field loss in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Abstract

AimsTo examine the relationship between baseline structural characteristics of the optic nerve head (ONH) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and functional disease progression in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) over 5 years.Methods112 OAG patients were prospectively examined at baseline and every 6 months over a period of five years. Structural glaucomatous changes were examined with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Heidelberg retinal tomography-III (HRT-III), and functional disease progression with automated perimetry (Humphrey visual fields). Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the relationship between baseline structural measurements and functional disease progression.ResultsFrom baseline over a 5-year period, statistically significant increases were found in OCT disc (D) area (pConclusionBaseline ONH and RNFL structural characteristics were associated with a significantly shorter time to functional glaucomatous progression and visual field loss through the five-year period in OAG patients.