Macular Thickness Changes in Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy Detected Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

IN GLAUCOMA, the essential pathologic process is the loss of retinal ganglion cells and their axons.¹ Numerous studies have shown that glaucomatous damage to the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) precedes functional loss by as much as 5 years.^2-7 Loss of the retinal ganglion cells and their axons is also known to occur in the posterior pole, where these cells may constitute 30% to 35% of the retinal thickness in the macular region.⁸ Studies of chronic experimental glaucoma in monkey eyes have shown a substantial loss of retinal ganglion cells in the zone surrounding the fovea.^9,10 Furthermore, a significant association exists between loss of retinal thickness in the posterior pole and visual function.⁸