The effectiveness of the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph and laser diagnostic glaucoma scanning system (GDx) in detecting and monitoring glaucoma
Kwartz A J, Henson D B, Harper R A, Spencer A F, McLeod D
Record ID 32006000006
English
Authors' objectives:
The aim of this report was to determine the potential of optic nerve head tomography [Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT)] and scanning laser polarimetry (GDx) for identifying patients with glaucomatous visual field loss.
Authors' results and conclusions:
From the cross-sectional group, the maximum sensitivities of the HRT and GDx were 59% and 45%, respectively (at 95% specificity). From the two longitudinal cohorts, the level of agreement between the three instruments for identification of the development and deterioration of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) was low. The applicability of the techniques was 80% (HRT), 88% (GDx) and 98% (Humphrey Field Analyzer HFA). The length of time to perform a full examination with each instrument was 12.3, 11.8 and 28.3 minutes, respectively. Agreement of HRT and GDx parameters between and within observers was largely good.
Authors' recommendations:
There is poor agreement for detection of glaucoma between the HFA, HRT and GDx. The techniques are amenable to use in the clinical environment, but no single examination has sufficient diagnostic precision to be used in isolation; also, the imaging techniques were not universally applicable. Neither the HRT nor GDx should be viewed as a replacement for visual field examination. Further research is needed into why most patients within the longitudinal arms of the study showed very little deterioration and into determining aspects of the structure versus function relationship in glaucoma that may explain why any one technique fails to detect a proportion of cases.
Authors' methods:
Primary research
Details
Project Status:
Completed
URL for project:
http://www.hta.ac.uk/1027
Year Published:
2005
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
England, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Eye Diseases
- Glaucoma
Contact
Organisation Name:
NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme
Contact Address:
NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK
Contact Name:
journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Contact Email:
journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Copyright:
2009 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.