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Early axonal damage detection by ganglion cell complex analysis with optical coherence tomography in nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy

  • Neurophthalmology
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the ability of ganglion cell complex (GCC) analysis by optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect early axonal damage in nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION), and to assess the relationship of GCC measurements with visual field defects and function parameters.

Methods

Twenty-two patients with NAION participated in this retrospective case-series study. Patients underwent spectral-domain OCT measurement of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and GCC average and minimum thicknesses, best-corrected visual acuity, Ishihara test and Humphrey visual field (SITA Standard 24–2). These measurements were recorded in the acute (2–6 weeks after the ischaemic episode) and chronic (≥6 months later) phases. Spearman’s coefficients were used to assess the relationship between GCC thickness and visual field defects.

Results

In the acute phase, none of the patients showed atrophy of the optic disc, while early damage was observed in the GCC average and minimum thickness in 54.54 % and 77.27 % of patients. At 6 months, the rate of patients with RNFL below normal limits increased to 90 % in the RNFL, and 92.85 % and 100 % in the GCC average and minimum GCC respectively. Spearman’s coefficients indicated significant relationships of GCC in the acute phase with visual field index and mean deviation in both acute and chronic phases. A significant correlation was also found with location of the defects.

Conclusions

GCC thickness measurement by OCT is capable of detecting early axonal damage in NAION eyes in the acute phase that cannot be detected by RNFL. GCC defects are significantly correlated with visual field globally and the defect location.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Maialen Lopez Aricha, Jose María Losada Domingo, Bárbara Berasategui, and Ana Orive for collected data and care of study patients.

None of the authors have financial, commercial, or proprietary interest in any device mentioned. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Cruces University Hospital, Plaza de Cruces s/n, Barakaldo, Vizcaya, 48903, Spain

    Begoña Arana Larrea, Marta Galdos Iztueta & Nerea Martinez Alday

  2. Instituto Clínico Quirúrgico Oftalmológico (ICQO), Bilbao, Spain

    Marta Galdos Iztueta

  3. Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Cruces Hospital, Vizcaya, Spain

    Lorea Martinez Indart

Authors
  1. Begoña Arana Larrea
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  2. Marta Galdos Iztueta
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  3. Lorea Martinez Indart
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  4. Nerea Martinez Alday
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Correspondence to Begoña Arana Larrea.

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Larrea, B.A., Iztueta, M.G., Indart, L.M. et al. Early axonal damage detection by ganglion cell complex analysis with optical coherence tomography in nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 252, 1839–1846 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-014-2697-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-014-2697-0

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