Original Paper

Nerve Fibre Layer Analysis with GDx with a Variable Corneal Compensator in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Giovanni Della Mea^a, Sonia Bacchetti^a, Marco Zeppieri^{a, c}, Paolo Brusini^a, Daniela Cutuli^b, Gian Luigi Gigli^b

Departments of
^aOphthalmology and
^bNeurology, S. Maria della Misericordia Hospital,
^cDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Udine, Udine, Italy

Address of Corresponding Author

Ophthalmologica 2007;221:186-189 (DOI: 10.1159/000099299)

  Key Words

• Multiple sclerosis glaucoma
• Nerve fibre analysis
• Optic neuritis

  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.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Dr. Paolo Brusini
Department of Ophthalmology, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital
P. le S. Maria della Misericordia, 15
IT-33100 Udine (Italy)
Tel. +39 0432 552 040, Fax +39 0432 552 741, E-Mail brusini@libero.it

  Article Information

Received: July 14, 2005
Accepted after revision: August 4, 2006
Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 23