Accuracy of the retinal nerve fiber layer measurements by Stratus optical coherence tomography for perimetric glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE To calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of measurements of the retinal nerve fiber layer using the Stratus optical coherence tomography in glaucoma subjects with visual field defects on achromatic perimetry as the gold standard. STUDY DESIGN Comparative cross-sectional. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Outdoor clinic of Layton Rehmatulla Benevolent Trust Hospital (LRBT), Lahore, from August 2007 to January 2008. METHODOLOGY Fifty normal subjects and 50 glaucoma patients were selected from outdoor clinic of LRBT. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) of all the subjects were measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT). Visual field defects on achromatic perimetry was used as the gold standard. RESULTS The sensitivity and specificity of retinal nerve fiber layer measurement for perimetric glaucoma using the OCT were 82% and 96% respectively. The positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy were 95%, 84% and 89% respectively. CONCLUSION There is a high sensitivity and specificity of RNFL measurements using the new Stratus OCT for the diagnosis of perimetric glaucoma.