Neuroretinal rim assessment in children with known and suspected juvenile glaucoma

Purpose
To assess neuroretinal rim width using spectral optical coherence tomography in children with enlarged optic disc cupping (suspected juvenile glaucoma) and children with known juvenile glaucoma.

Material and methods
30 eyes of 15 healthy subjects and 30 glaucomatous eyes were assessed. The subjects in both groups ranged from 10 to 18 years. Every subject underwent a standard ophthalmic examination including central visual field testing (Octopus 900 Pro, Haag-Streit) and spectral optical coherence tomography (Spectralis, Heidelberg), using the special Glaucoma Module software. The associations between the neuroretinal rim width and central visual field as well as global peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness were evaluated.

Results
There were strong correlations between retinal nerve fiber layer and mean deviation as well as between Bruch’s Membrane Opening–Minimum Rim Width and mean deviation in patients with juvenile glaucoma. There was no correlation between Bruch’s Membrane Opening–Minimum Rim Width and mean deviation in children with suspected juvenile glaucoma.

Conclusions
Neuroretinal rim width assessment seems to have no greater value than retinal nerve fiber layer, especially in newly diagnosed juvenile glaucoma.