Relationship between retinal nerve fibre layer measurements and retinal sensitivity by scanning laser polarimetry with variable and enhanced corneal compensation.

AIM

To evaluate the relationship between retinal sensitivity and the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) measurements by scanning laser polarimetry (SLP) with variable corneal compensation (VCC) and enhanced corneal compensation (ECC) in a homogenous group of Asian eyes.

METHODS

The presence of atypical birefringence pattern (ABP) on the peripapillary SLP-VCC was determined by the subjective evaluation and the objective criteria of software-provided typical scan score (TSS) <80. RNFL parameters were measured by both VCC and ECC techniques, and the visual field was examined. The relationships between retinal sensitivity and RNFL measurements were sought globally and regionally with linear and logarithmic regression analysis. Coefficients of the determination for VCC and ECC techniques were compared.

RESULTS

Seventy-two eyes were classified as having normal birefringence pattern (NBP) and 53 eyes were classified as having ABP. In eyes with ABP, R2 values for the association between retinal sensitivity and RNFL measurements were 0.06-0.24 with VCC, whereas they were 0.21-0.48 with ECC. In eyes with NBP, R2 values for the association between retinal sensitivity and RNFL measurements were 0.14-0.35 with VCC, whereas they were 0.22-0.43 with ECC. The association of RNFL measurements with retinal sensitivity was significantly better with ECC than with VCC in nine out of 16 regression models in eyes with ABP, whereas only three models showed better associations with ECC in eyes with NBP (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The associations of RNFL measurements on the routine SLP printouts with corresponding retinal sensitivity were stronger with the ECC algorithm compared with VCC in Asian eyes with ABP.