Dr. Dyrda, Dr. Gómez and Dr. Anton publish a study to improve the early detection of glaucoma

Dr. Agnieszka Dyrda, member of the ICR’s Department of Retina and Vitreous and Cataract Department, has participated together with Dr. Alícia Gómez, member of the Cataract and Glaucoma Department, and Dr. Alfonso Antón, head of the Glaucoma Department, in a multicenter study recently published in the prestigious British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The study stands out for the use of modern statistical tools in the diagnosis of glaucoma and for obtaining objective data on the optical nerve structure and the retinal layers by using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Why is this study important?

• Glaucoma is a silent, slow-acting disease that does not affect patients until very advanced stages. People who suffer it are not aware of their disease until it is in a very advanced stage. Therefore, its early detection is crucial, since it allows the disease to be treated early and the progression towards irreversible blindness to be halted.
  
• Nowadays the diagnosis is based on a general ophthalmological examination and different complementary tests: tonometry (measurement of intraocular pressure), campimetry (exploration of the visual field) and OCT (detailed exploration of the optical nerve).

• Although the most common test is campimetry, OCT is increasingly used because it is a non-invasive test, easy to do and repeat, and most importantly, it is objective. The study aims to provide new strategies for early detection of glaucoma using this technique.

You can consult the full article on the website of the British Journal of Ophthalmology.