Aims To evaluate the glaucoma discriminating ability of macular retinal layers as measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Methods Healthy, glaucoma suspect and glaucomatous subjects had a comprehensive ocular examination, visual field testing and SD-OCT imaging (Cirrus HD-OCT; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, California, USA) in the macular and optic nerve head regions. OCT macular scans were segmented into macular nerve fibre layer (mNFL), ganglion cell layer with inner plexiform layer (GCIP), ganglion cell complex (GCC) (composed of mNFL and GCIP), outer retinal complex and total retina. Glaucoma discriminating ability was assessed using the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) for all macular parameters and mean circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (cpRNFL).

Results Analysis was performed on 51 healthy, 49 glaucoma suspect and 63 glaucomatous eyes. The median visual field MD was −2.21 dB (IQR: −6.92 to −0.35) for the glaucoma group, −0.32 dB (IQR: −1.22 to 0.73) for the suspect group and −0.18 dB (IQR: −0.92 to 0.71) for the healthy group. Highest age adjusted AUCs were found for average GCC and GCIP (AUC=0.901 and 0.900, respectively) and their sectoral measurements: infero-temporal (0.922 and 0.913), inferior (0.904 and 0.912) and supero-temporal (0.910 and 0.897). These values were similar to the discriminating ability of the mean cpRNFL (AUC=0.913). Comparison of these AUCs did not yield any statistically significant difference (all p>0.05).

Conclusions SD-OCT GCIP and GCC measurements showed similar glaucoma diagnostic ability and were comparable with that of cpRNFL.