Abstract

Background: No data exist for the time period required for the conversion of healthy optic nerves to glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON). It is not possible to predict which patients will develop glaucoma. Periodic screening of ONHs via nerve fiber layer (NFL) scans might allow for the early detection of GON.

Method: Retrospective chart review of patients who developed definitive unilateral (n = 18) or bilateral (n = 13) glaucoma to determine time course for conversion to/discovery of GON, as corroborated by optic nerve head (ONH) evaluation, NFL scans, and automated visual field (VF) perimetry.

Results: Median time of conversion for this cohort was 7 years for unilateral and 8 years for bilateral GON.

Conclusion: Screening ONHs/NFL at five-year intervals may be adequate for the detection of new cases of GON in its early stages.

Keywords: Glaucoma; Nerve Fiber Layer; Screening Frequency

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Citation

Citation: Paul Varner. “How Often Should Healthy Optic Nerves be Scanned for the Development of Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy?". Acta Scientific Paediatrics 3.10 (2020): 20-27.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2020 Paul Varner. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.