Nerve fibre layer analysis with GDx with a variable corneal compensator in patients with multiple sclerosis

Ophthalmologica. 2007;221(3):186-9. doi: 10.1159/000099299.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of GDx with variable corneal compensator (VCC) compared to visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) and standard automated perimetry (SAP) in the detection of early optic nerve damage in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: 46 eyes of 23 MS patients were included. Ten of them had a history of acute retrobulbar optic neuritis. A control group of 20 normal subjects was also included. All subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological examination and testing with SAP, GDx VCC and VEPs.

Results: 19 eyes (41.3%) were abnormal with GDx VCC compared to 38 eyes (82.6%) with SAP and 31 (64.4%) with VEPs. In the optic neuritis group, 9 eyes (69.2%) had optic nerve pallor; SAP was abnormal in 8 of these eyes (61.5%) while VEPs and GDx VCC were abnormal in 6 eyes (46.1%). 2/20 eyes (10.0%) in the control group gave a false-positive abnormal result with SAP. GDx VCC and VEP were normal for all the eyes in the control group.

Conclusions: GDx VCC is less able to detect early defects in MS patients compared to the currently used standard techniques of SAP and VEPs.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cornea
  • Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological / instrumentation*
  • Equipment Design
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis / complications
  • Multiple Sclerosis / pathology*
  • Multiple Sclerosis / physiopathology
  • Nerve Fibers / pathology*
  • Optic Nerve / pathology*
  • Optic Neuritis / etiology
  • Optic Neuritis / pathology*
  • Optic Neuritis / physiopathology
  • ROC Curve
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Visual Field Tests