Evaluation of spectral domain optical coherence tomography parameters in ocular hypertension, preperimetric, and early glaucoma

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic ability of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macular, optic nerve head (ONH) parameters in healthy subjects, ocular hypertension (OHT), preperimetric glaucoma (PPG), and early glaucoma (EG) patients, to reveal factors affecting the diagnostic ability of spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) parameters and risk factors for glaucoma. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty-six eyes (89 healthy, 77 OHT, 94 PPG, and 66 EG eyes) were analyzed. RNFL, macular, and ONH parameters were measured with SD-OCT. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and sensitivity at 95% specificity was calculated. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the glaucoma risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of covariates on the diagnostic ability of parameters. RESULTS: In PPG patients, parameters that had the largest AUC value were average RNFL thickness (0.83) and rim volume (0.83). In EG patients, parameter that had the largest AUC value was average RNFL thickness (0.98). The logistic regression analysis showed average RNFL thickness was a risk factor for both PPG and EG. Diagnostic ability of average RNFL and average ganglion cell complex thickness increased as disease severity increased. Signal strength index did not affect diagnostic abilities. Diagnostic ability of average RNFL and rim area increased as disc area increased. CONCLUSION: When evaluating patients with glaucoma, patients at risk for glaucoma, and healthy controls RNFL parameters deserve more attention in clinical practice. Further studies are needed to fully understand the influence of covariates on the diagnostic ability of OCT parameters.