A multicentre US study found rapid ganglion cell complex (GCC) thinning in glaucoma patients was associated with faster rates of central visual-field decline. 

Researchers led by Dr Golnoush Mahmoudinezhad, Hamilton Glaucoma Center, University of California, studied 202 eyes in 139 adult glaucoma patients. Of these, 31.7% identified as African American; 9.4%, Asian; 57.6%, White; and 1.4% identified as ‘other race and ethnicity’.  

During the 4.7-year follow-up period, researchers designated 80.7% of individuals ‘slow OCT progressors’, with average GCC-thinning rates of -0.3μm/y and visual-field mean deviation worsening of −0.10 dB/y. The remaining ‘fast OCT progressors’ had thinning averaging −1.6μm/y and visual-field mean deviation worsening of −0.34 dB/y. 

“These findings support use of longitudinal macular OCT scans assisting clinical decision-making for glaucoma and also may guide possible intensification of therapy in high-risk patients,” the authors concluded.