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Abstract #8751 Published in IGR 5-1
Low specificity of scanning laser polarimetry
Mojon DSOphthalmologica 2003; 217: 17-19
PURPOSE: Scanning laser polarimetry is used to assess the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer. This study evaluates scanning laser polarimetry in normal subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight eyes of 28 normal subjects (age range, 21-48 years; mean age, 36.5 years) had scanning laser polarimetry (NFA-GDx, Laser Diagnostic Technologies, San Diego, CA). All subjects had normal eye examinations, refractive errors with spherical equivalents < 5 D and astigmatism < 2 D, normal intraocular pressures, no history of diseases affecting the visual field or nerve fiber layer, and normal white-on-white automated perimetry (Octopus 101, program G2). The mean image of three good-quality measurements with the scanning laser polarimeter was included. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of the normal subjects (10/28) had at least one NFA parameter outside normal (p < 0.05). The parameters most frequently found to be outside normal were symmetry (21%, 6/28) and superior ratio (17%, 5/28). CONCLUSIONS: Scanning laser polarimetry is often used for early detection of glaucomatous damage in glaucoma suspects. This study found a specificity of only 64% and indicates that the actual selection of parameters is not adequate. In particular, the parameters symmetry and superior ratio should be re-evaluated in order to achieve a higher specificity.
Dr. D. Mojon, Department of Strabismus and Neuro-Ophthalmology, Kantonsspital, CH-9007 St. Gallen, Switzerland. daniel.mojon@kssg.ch
Classification:
2.13 Retina and retinal nerve fibre layer (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)
6.9.1 Laser scanning (Part of: 6 Clinical examination methods > 6.9 Computerized image analysis)
