Detecting Glaucoma Progression Using Guided Progression Analysis with OCT and Visual Field Assessment in Eyes Classified by International Classification of Disease Severity Codes.

PURPOSE: To compare the detection and rates of progressive retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) loss with spectral-domain (SD) OCT and visual field (VF) loss using Guided Progression Analysis (GPA; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) in glaucomatous eyes classified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis codes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Glaucoma patients with at least 3 years of follow-up and a minimum of 4 SD OCT and 5 reliable VF examinations. METHODS: Glaucoma severity was classified using ICD, 10th Edition, Clinical Modification, diagnosis codes. Rates of RNFL, macular GCIPL, and VF loss were calculated, and progression estimates were compared using generalized estimating equations and McNemar's tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Progressive RNFL, GCIPL, and VF loss assessed by GPA criteria. RESULTS: A total of 147 eyes of 116 patients (mean age, 69.9±8.5 years) were included with mean follow-up of 69.67±18.64 months. Overall, 38 of 147 eyes (25.9%) showed RNFL progression, 35 eyes (23.8%) showed GCIPL progression, and 20 eyes (13.6%) showed VF progression. Progression by all 3 methods was noted in 10 eyes (7.0%). Eyes with mild (n = 62) and severe (n = 46) glaucoma showed significantly more progression on SD OCT compared with VF (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004). Retinal nerve fiber layer, GCIPL, and VF progressors showed faster rates of loss in average RNFL, GCIPL, and VF mean deviation compared with nonprogressors (mean ± standard error: -1.47±0.30 µm/year vs. -0.03±0.12 µm/year [P = 0.0001], -1.68±0.34 µm/year vs. -0.29±0.07 µm/year [P = 0.0001], and -1.07±0.20 dB/year vs. -0.19±0.04 dB/year [P = 0.0001], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Spectral-domain OCT progression was significantly more common than VF progression in glaucomatous eyes classified with mild and severe disease. Structure and function should be monitored closely across the entire spectrum of glaucoma severity.

A retrospective survey of childhood glaucoma prevalence according to Childhood Glaucoma Research Network classification.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the Childhood Glaucoma Research Network (CGRN) classification system and describe the prevalence of each subtype according to this classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospectively, the medical records of 205 consecutive childhood glaucoma and glaucoma suspect patients at an urban tertiary care center were reviewed. The initial diagnosis and new diagnosis according to CGRN classification were recorded. RESULTS: All patients fit one of the seven categories of the new classification. Seventy-one percent of diagnoses were changed upon reclassification. Twenty-three percent of patients had primary glaucoma (juvenile open-angle glaucoma and primary congenital glaucoma [PCG]); 36% had secondary glaucoma (glaucoma associated with nonacquired ocular anomalies; glaucoma associated with nonacquired systemic disease or syndrome; glaucoma associated with acquired condition; and glaucoma following cataract surgery); and 39% were glaucoma suspect. Of the patients diagnosed with glaucoma, PCG was the most common diagnosis, seen in 32% of patients. CONCLUSION: The CGRN classification provides a useful method of classifying childhood glaucoma.

Service innovation in glaucoma management: using a Web-based electronic patient record to facilitate virtual specialist supervision of a shared care glaucoma programme.

AIM: To assess the importance of specialist supervision in a new model of glaucoma service delivery. METHODS: An optometrist supported by three technicians managed each glaucoma clinic. Patients underwent testing and clinical examination before the optometrist triaged them into one of five groups: 'normal', 'stable', 'low risk', 'unstable' and 'high risk'. Patient data were uploaded to an electronic medical record to facilitate virtual review by a glaucoma specialist. RESULTS: 24 257 glaucoma reviews at three glaucoma clinics during a 31-month period were analysed. The clinic optometrists and glaucoma specialists had substantial agreement (κ 0.69). 13 patients were identified to be high risk by the glaucoma specialist that had not been identified as such by the optometrist. Glaucoma specialists amended 13% of the optometrists' interim decisions resulting in an overall reduction in review appointments by 2.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Employing technicians and optometrists to triage glaucoma patients into groups defined by risk of blindness allows higher risk patients to be directed to a glaucoma specialist. Virtual review allows the glaucoma specialist to remain in overall control while reducing the risk that patients are treated or followed-up unnecessarily. Demand for glaucoma appointments can be reduced allowing scarce medical resources to be directed to patients most in need.

Glaucoma severity and medication adherence in a county hospital population.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between disease severity and adherence with glaucoma medications in a county hospital population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 126 patients diagnosed with glaucoma receiving intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medication were recruited from the San Francisco General Hospital Ophthalmology Clinic. METHODS: Subjects completed an oral questionnaire to assess demographic information, knowledge of glaucoma, and perceptions of glaucoma medication adherence. Glaucoma disease severity was classified according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Preferred Practice Pattern guidelines. Medication adherence was measured for each patient by obtaining pharmacy refill data and calculating medication possession ratio (MPR), that is, the ratio of total days' supply of medication during a 365-day period. Adherence was measured retrospectively over the 18-month period before study entry. Subjects with an MPR >80% were considered adherent. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Medication adherence. RESULTS: Subjects with mild or moderate glaucoma were more likely to be nonadherent to their prescribed glaucoma medications than those with severe disease (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.31; P = 0.04). Age, gender, race, education level, years of glaucoma, number of medications, and glaucoma diagnosis were not found to be statistically significantly associated with adherence. CONCLUSION: Patients with severe glaucoma were more likely to adhere to their topical IOP-lowering medication regimen than those with milder glaucomatous disease. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Glaucoma diagnostic ability of quadrant and clock-hour neuroretinal rim assessment using cirrus HD optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the glaucoma diagnostic ability of quadrant and clock-hour neuroretinal rim assessment by Cirrus HD spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: Eighty eyes of 80 glaucoma patients and 80 eyes of 80 healthy subjects were enrolled. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was measured by Cirrus HD-OCT. Quadrant and clock-hour rim areas and thicknesses were obtained from optic nerve head images and 360° circumferential rim thickness curve of Cirrus HD-OCT, respectively. Area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) and sensitivities of RNFL thicknesses, rim areas, and rim thicknesses at a 90% specificity level were calculated. RESULTS: Quadrant and clock-hour rim area and thickness showed good diagnostic ability for glaucoma in all areas (AUCs, 0.877-0.969; sensitivities, 67.5%-96.3%). When the AUCs of RNFL thicknesses, rim areas, and rim thicknesses were compared, no significant difference was found in global area and superior and inferior quadrants (P > 0.05). However, in nasal and temporal quadrants, rim area and thickness had greater AUCs (AUCs, 0.919-0.945; sensitivities, 82.5%-86.3%) than RNFL thickness (AUCs, 0.749-0.776; sensitivities, 12.5%-33.8%; P < 0.001). Eyes with moderate to advanced glaucoma (mean deviation < -6 dB) had thinner RNFL than mild glaucoma (mean deviation ≥ -6 dB) in global area, superior, inferior, and temporal quadrants (P < 0.003); rim area and thickness showed no significant difference in all areas (P > 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Neuroretinal rim assessment in nasal and temporal areas by Cirrus HD-OCT may enhance glaucoma diagnostic ability. RNFL and rim changes measured by Cirrus HD-OCT may be different according to the stages of glaucomatous damage.

Glaucoma risk assessment based on clinical data and automated nerve fiber layer defects detection.

Glaucoma is the first leading cause of vision loss in Japan, thus developing a scheme for helping glaucoma diagnosis is important. For this problem, automated nerve fiber layer defects (NFLDs) detection method was proposed, but glaucoma risk assessment using this method was not evaluated. In this paper, computerized risk assessment for having glaucoma was attempted by use of the patients' clinical information, and the performances of the NFLDs detection and the glaucoma risk assessment were compared. The clinical data includes the systemic data, ophthalmologic data, and right and left retinal images. Glaucoma risk assessment was built by using machine learning technique, which were artificial neural network, radial basis function (RBF) network, k-nearest neighbor algorithm, and support vector machine. The inputting parameter was ten clinical ones with/without the results of NFLDs detection. As a result, proposed glaucoma risk assessment showed the higher performance than the NFLD detection. The result of the glaucoma risk assessment indicates that the computerized assessment may be useful for the determination of glaucoma risk.

Glaucoma classification model based on GDx VCC measured parameters by decision tree.

This study is to propose and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of decision tree classifiers using the full set of standard GDx VCC measurements for classifying glaucoma in a Taiwan Chinese population. The classifiers were trained and tested using standard GDx VCC parameters from examinations of 74 subjects with glaucoma and 72 normal subjects. Six promising decision rules were generated from decision tree methods and the overall accuracy from tenfold cross validation was 0.801. Classification tree based on GDx VCC data promises to be a diagnostic tool in glaucoma disease. However, its exact clinical application in glaucoma practice should be retested. Further longitudinal study should address this issue.

Late-stage, primary open-angle glaucoma in Europe: social and health care maintenance costs and quality of life of patients from 4 countries.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate costs and quality of life (QoL) of late-stage glaucoma patients in 4 European countries. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical charts of patients with POAG who were followed in a low-vision or vision rehabilitation center in one of 4 countries for at least 1 year was used to determine patient characteristics, health status, and health care resource use. Visual impairment was measured by best-corrected visual acuity (Snellen score). Patients were also interviewed over the telephone in order to assess their health-related QoL (using EuroQol EQ-5D) and use of resources including: the number of visits to rehabilitation centers, visits to hospital and non-hospital specialists, the use of low-vision devices, medication, tests, and the use of hired home help. The costs associated with resource use were calculated from the perspective of a third-party payer of health and social care based on resource usage and unit costs in each country. RESULTS: Patients undergoing visual rehabilitation in France (n=21), Denmark (n=59), Germany (n=60), and the United Kingdom (n=22) were identified, interviewed and had their medical charts reviewed. Annual maintenance costs of late-stage glaucoma amounted to euro830 (+/-445) on average. Average home help costs were more than 3 times higher. QoL, on average, was 0.65 (+/-0.28). QoL was positively correlated with the level of visual acuity in the patients' best eye. On the other hand, visual acuity was also positively correlated to health care costs, but negatively correlated to costs of home help. CONCLUSIONS: The study was limited by its observational, uncontrolled design. The finding that late-stage glaucoma is associated with higher home help costs than health care maintenance costs suggests that potential savings from a better preventive treatment are to be found for social care payers rather than health care payers.

Oman Eye Study 2005: prevalence and determinants of glaucoma.

This community-based study was carried out to estimate the prevalence and identify the determinants of glaucoma in the Omani population in 2005-06. Residents of 75 randomly selected houses in 25 clusters participated in the survey. We interviewed and examined 3324 individuals aged > or = 30 years in their homes and in eye clinics to note personal details, glaucoma status and presence of selected risk factors: 180 were diagnosed as having glaucoma. Projected prevalence of glaucoma among the Omani population > or = 30 years was 4.75%. Open angle and angle closure types of glaucoma contributed 40.6% and 37.8% respectively. History of hypertension was negatively, and older age and family history of glaucoma were positively, associated with glaucoma.

Association between corneal thickness, mean intraocular pressure, disease stability and severity, and cost of treatment in glaucoma: a Canadian analysis.

PURPOSE: We determined the association between the mean corneal thickness (CT) and visual field mean defect (VF) severity as well as with mean intraocular pressure (IOP), disease stability, and cost of glaucoma therapy in a Canadian setting. METHODS: Data were collected from charts of patients diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). CT measures, VF scores, IOP measurements, physicians' impressions, and resources used (physician visits, diagnostic tests, procedures, and medications) were recorded over a minimum of 2.5 years. CT was compared across the three VF severity levels [mild (0 to < 5 dB), moderate (5 to < 12 dB), and severe (>/= 12 dB)] using a Kruskall-Wallis test. Initial VF was regressed on Age, CT, IOP, and Optic Disc Ratio. Stability and Cost were regressed on IOP. RESULTS: Of the 411 charts, 132 included CT measures. Patients included 50 with mild, 43 with moderate, and 39 with severe disease. The mean CTs of the overall, mild, moderate, and severe groups were 545.9 mum, 554.7 mum, 549.8 mum, and 523.3 mum, respectively. There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the CT pp of the mild and severe groups as well as between the moderate and severe groups. Regression analyses suggested that CT may be a predictor of disease severity, but not of cost. It was also found that IOP may be a predictor of disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with severe VFs tend to be those who have thinner corneas. Further research is warranted, as a result of the limited sample size, to clarify the definitive association among corneal thickness, disease progression, and the cost of therapy.

Efficacy and safety of international donor sharing: a single-center, case-controlled study on corneal transplantation.

BACKGROUND: To overcome the shortage of donor corneas, we are currently using donor corneas supplied by foreign eye banks. This single-center, case-controlled study was conducted to show the efficacy and safety of corneal transplantation using corneas from foreign donors. METHODS: A retrospective, case-controlled comparison of 118 corneal transplants using foreign donor corneas (foreign group) and domestic donor corneas (domestic group) was performed. The two groups were matched according to original disease, age, severity of preoperative neovascularization, and history of previous grafting. Clinical outcome and incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The foreign group had a longer preservation-to-operation time than the domestic group, reflecting the longer transportation time. However, the incidence of clear grafts and postoperative complications such as immunologic rejection, infection, and glaucoma was not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Corneal transplantations using foreign donor corneas are as effective and safe as those using domestic donor corneas, despite the longer preservation time.

[Modern diagnostic methods for suspected glaucoma and glaucoma]. / Moderne diagnostische Verfahren bei Glaukomverdacht und Glaukom.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of early glaucomatous damage as well as the detection of glaucomatous change are still difficult tasks. During the last years numerous new diagnostic techniques have been investigated and some of them have been introduced to the market. METHODS: This paper reviews the different aims of diagnostic technologies in the field of glaucoma. Methods appearing suitable for a large-scale use by ophthalmologists will be judged according to their suitability to meet the goals of early diagnosis, objective diagnosis, progression analysis and screening. CONCLUSIONS: The new diagnostic techniques have not yet greatly influenced our diagnostic procedure. This is mainly due to the fact that, for the most difficult borderline cases of glaucoma, these methods are of limited value, or have not yet been sufficiently investigated. Nevertheless, the Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT), the nerve fiber analyzer GDX, short wavelength perimetry (SWAP), and the frequency doubling test (FDT) may play a role in these cases. For follow-up, HRT and GDx have proven valuable, especially in early stages of the disease. The very short testing time of FDT together with good specificity qualifies this test for glaucoma screening.

Incidencia de glaucoma en la consulta externa del Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins del Instituto Peruano de la Seguridad Social / Glaucoma incidence in out patients of the Hospital Eduardo Rebagliati

Se revisan 2,141 Historias Clínicas de casos diagnosticados con Glaucoma Primario de Angulo Abierto, Glaucoma Primario de Angulo Estrecho y Glaucoma Secundario Inducido por el Uso Tópico de Esteroides, en el lapso de 5 años y 8 meses; se encuentra una incidencia, referida a la población general estudiada, del 3 por ciento para estos tres tipos de glaucomas en conjunto; de este porcentaje el 2.6 por ciento corresponde al Glaucoma Primario de Angulo Abierto y el 0.4 por ciento a los dos restantes. La quinta y sexta décadas de la vida son las más afectadas, con 29.2 por ciento y 36.4 por ciento respectivamente. El sexo masculino con 52.2 por ciento muestra prevelencia sobre el femenino con 47.5 por ciento. La incidencia de Ceguera Legal imputable a estos glaucomas, en la población registrada como glaucomatosa, asciende a 17.93 por ciento