Detection of early Glaucomatous Damage in Pseudo Exfoliation Syndrome by Assessment of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To detect early glaucomatous changes in pseudo exfoliative patients with normal intraocular pressure (IOP); visual field and optic nerve head appearance; by measuring retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Design: A prospective observational case-control study. Participants: Twenty non-glaucomatous (normal IOP; fundus and visual field) pseudo exfoliative patients and 20 age matched healthy control subjects. Materials and Methods: The RNFL thickness (global and four quadrants) was assessed using combined imaging system OTI (OCT/SLO) and compared with age matched normal control subjects. Results: The RNFL in patients with pseudo exfoliation syndrome (PXS) was significantly thinner in all quadrants except the nasal quadrant compared to the control group (p less than 0.05). Conclusion: Measurement of RNFL thickness by OCT is useful in detecting early RNFL damage which in turn provides clinically relevant information in detecting early glaucomatous changes in pseudo exfoliative patients