Reproducibility of retinal nerve fiber layer measurements across the glaucoma spectrum using optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to determine intra-session and inter-session reproducibility of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements with the spectral-domain Cirrus optical coherence tomography (OCT) ® (SD-OCT) in normal and glaucomatous eyes, including a subset of advanced glaucoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: RNFL measurements of 40 eyes of 40 normal subjects and 40 eyes of 40 glaucomatous patients including 14 with advanced glaucoma were obtained on the Cirrus OCT ® (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA) five times on 1-day (intra-session) and on five separate days (inter-session). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (COV), and test-retest variability (TRT) values were calculated for mean and quadrant RNFL in each group separately. Reproducibility values were correlated with age and stage of glaucoma.

RESULTS: For intra-session reproducibility, the ICC, COV, and TRT values for mean RNFL thickness in normal eyes were 0.993, 1.96%, and 4.02 µm, respectively, 0.996, 2.39%, and 3.84 µm in glaucomatous eyes, and 0.996, 2.41%, and 3.70 µm in advanced glaucoma. The corresponding inter-session values in normal eyes were 0.992, 2.16%, and 4.09 µm, 0.995, 2.62%, and 3.98 µm in glaucoma and 0.990, 2.70%, and 4.16 µm in advanced glaucoma. The mean RNFL thickness measurements were the most reproducible while the temporal quadrant had the lowest reproducibility values in all groups. There was no correlation between reproducibility and age or mean deviation on visual fields.

CONCLUSIONS: Peripapillary RNFL thickness measurements using Cirrus OCT ® demonstrated excellent reproducibility in normal and glaucomatous eyes, including eyes with advanced glaucoma. Mean RNFL thickness measurements appear to be the most reproducible and probably represent the best parameter to use for longitudinal follow-up.