rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2009;93:1191-1194 doi:10.1136/bjo.2008.152595
  • Original Article
  • Clinical science

Predictors of atypical birefringence pattern in scanning laser polarimetry

  1. K Qiu1,2,
  2. C K S Leung1,
  3. R N Weinreb3,
  4. S Liu1,
  5. C Y L Chueng1,
  6. H Li1,
  7. M-Z Zhang2,
  8. C-P Pang1,
  9. D S C Lam1
  1. 1
    Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
  2. 2
    The STU/CUHK Joint Shantou International Eye Centre, Shantou University Medical College, PR China
  3. 3
    Hamilton Glaucoma Center and Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr C K-s Leung, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, 147K Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong; tlims00{at}hotmail.com
  • Accepted 22 February 2009
  • Published Online First 4 May 2009

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate predictors of atypical birefringence patterns (ABP) observed in scanning laser polarimetry.

Methods: A total of 179 eyes from 82 normal subjects and 97 glaucoma patients were included. The retinal nerve fibre layer in each eye was imaged sequentially with GDx variable corneal compensation (VCC) and GDx enhanced corneal compensation (ECC) (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, California). The associations between the typical scan score (TSS) and age, axial length, spherical error, parapapillary atrophy (PPA) and visual-field mean deviation (MD) were evaluated with univariate and multivariate regression analyses.

Results: 23.5% (42/179) and 5.0% (9/179) of subjects had ABP (TSS<80) with GDx VCC and GDx ECC, respectively. For both GDx VCC and ECC, the TSS was significantly correlated with age, axial length, spherical error and PPA, but not with visual-field MD. After adjusting the effect of covariates, the axial length/spherical error and PPA were significantly associated with GDx VCC TSS, whereas the axial length/spherical error was the only predictor for GDx ECC TSS. Myopic eyes were more likely to develop ABP in both GDx VCC and ECC.

Conclusions: Axial length or spherical error is a significant predictor for ABP with both GDx VCC and GDx ECC. Caution should be exercised in interpreting the results of scanning laser polarimetry in eyes with a long axial length or myopia.

Footnotes

  • Funding CL and RW have received research support in the form of instruments from Carl Zeiss Meditec.

  • Competing interests CL has received honorariums from Carl Zeiss Meditec. RW is a consultant to Carl Zeiss Meditec.

  • Provenance and Peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Ethics approval Ethics approval was provided by Hong Kong Hospital Authority Research Ethics Committee.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF
  4. All versions of this article:
    1. bjo.2008.152595v1
    2. 93/9/1191 most recent

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.