Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured with optical coherence tomography is related to visual function in glaucomatous eyes

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between areas of glaucomatous retinal nerve fiber layer thinning identified by optical coherence tomography and areas of decreased visual field sensitivity identified by standard automated perimetry in glaucomatous eyes. DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-three patients with glaucomatous optic neuropathy identified by optic disc stereo photographs and standard automated perimetry mean deviations >-8 dB were included. METHODS: Participants were imaged with optical coherence tomography within 6 months of reliable standard automated perimetry testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The location and number of optical coherence tomography clock hour retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measures outside normal limits were compared with the location and number of standard automated perimetry visual field zones outside normal limits. Further, the relationship between the deviation from normal optical coherence tomography-measured retinal nerve fiber layer thickness at each clock hour and the average pattern deviation in each visual field zone was examined by using linear regression (R(2)). RESULTS: The retinal nerve fiber layer areas most frequently outside normal limits were the inferior and inferior temporal regions. The least sensitive visual field zones were in the superior hemifield. Linear regression results (R(2)) showed that deviation from the normal retinal nerve fiber layer thickness at optical coherence tomography clock hour positions 6 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 8 o'clock (inferior and inferior temporal) was best correlated with standard automated perimetry pattern deviation in visual field zones corresponding to the superior arcuate and nasal step regions (R(2) range, 0.34-0.57). These associations were much stronger than those between clock hour position 6 o'clock and the visual field zone corresponding to the inferior nasal step region (R(2) = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Localized retinal nerve fiber layer thinning, measured by optical coherence tomography, is topographically related to decreased localized standard automated perimetry sensitivity in glaucoma patients.