Correlation Between Changes in Lamina Cribrosa Structure and Visual Field in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between changes in lamina cribrosa (LC) structure using enhanced depth imaging (EDI) and severity of visual field (VF) affection in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out on 52 glaucomatous eyes of 28 POAG patients who attended Tanta University Eye Hospital and 40 normal eyes of 20 age-matched normal subjects from April 2020 to March 2021. POAG patients were classified according to the modified Hodapp–Anderson–Parrish grading scale based on the MD of the standard automated perimetry (SAP) visual field into two groups: group (1) – mild-to-moderate POAG patients (MD ≤ 12 dB), group (2) – severe POAG patients (MD ≥ 12 dB) and the third group included normal (control) age- and gender-matched individuals. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups regarding lamina cribrosa thickness nor lamina cribrosa area and there was no statistically significant correlation between MD and LC thickness, LC area (P-value=0.395 and 0.644). There was a statistically significant correlation between MD and anterior lamina cribrosa surface depth (P-value=0.002) and there was a statistically significant positive correlation between MD and prelaminar neural tissue (PLNT) thickness and prelaminar neural tissue (PLNT) area (P-value= 0.023 and <0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: EDI-OCT is a useful biomarker of structural changes in ONH and LC, and we recommended it to be a part of the routine monitoring of patients with POAG.