Use of a confocal laser scanning ophthalmoscope to detect glaucomatous cupping of the optic disc

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the three-dimensional (3-D) topography of the optic disc contains sufficient information to diagnose glaucoma with a high degree of reliability. Methods: The Zeiss 'Confocal Laser Scanning Ophthalmoscope' (CLSO) was used to obtain digitized samples of 3-D images of optic nerve heads from the following three groups of patients: (i) 40 normals with normal optic discs, normal Humphrey 24-2 full threshold visual fields and an intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤ 21 mmHg; (ii) 20 established glaucoma patients with cupping, glaucomatous field loss and an IOP > 21 mmHg; and (iii) 20 early glaucoma patients with early cupping, field loss ..