Abstract
New imaging techniques have extended the limitations of visualisation of the structures of the optic nerve and fundus in the living human eye. Quantitative reconstruction of depth of the optic nerve head is becoming widely available through the use of the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO). A separate method of quantitative depth reconstruction is possible using stereo pairs which is not subject to the same artefacts as the tomographic reconstruction. We are investigating the use of these techniques both with conventional stereo imaging and using stereo pairs derived from cSLO images. In these we find that there is additional structural detail evident in the base of the optic nerve head. Further studies made with an instrument optimised to image this region show that this corresponds to the lamina cribrosa. Current work is aimed at further extending the limits of imaging using techniques based on optical coherence tomography, which provides additional depth resolution. Results to date with a prototype device show an improvement of approximately a factor of 10 in depth resolution and that some separate layers of the retina may be visualised including the photoreceptor layer. The goal is to extend these limits to allow visualisation of the ganglion cell layer.
Article PDF
References
Webb RH, Hughes GW . Scanning laser ophthalmoscope. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 1981;28:488–92
Bhandari A, Fontana L, Fitzke FVV, Hitchings RA . Quantitative analysis of the lamina cribrosa in vivo using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Curr Eye Res 1997;16:1–8
Fontana L, Bhandari A, Fitzke FW, Hitchings RA . In vivo morphometry of the lamina cribrosa and its relation to visual field loss in glaucoma. Curr Eye Res 1998;17:363–9
Fitzke FW, Masters BR . Three-dimensional visualization of confocal sections of in vivo human fundus and optic nerve. Curr Eye Res 1993;12:1015–8
Woon WH, Fitzke FW, Bird AC, Marshall J . Confocal imaging of the fundus using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Br J Ophthalmol 1992;76:470--4.
Birch M, Brotchie D, Roberts N, Grierson I . The three-dimensional structure of the connective tissue in the lamina cribrosa of the human optic nerve head. Ophthalmologica 1997;211:183–91
Dandona L, Quigley HA, Brown AE, Enger C . Quantitative regional structure of the normal human lamina cribrosa: a racial comparison. Arch Ophthalmol 1990;108:393–8
Elkington AR, Inman CB, Steart PV, Weller RO . The structure of the lamina cribrosa of the human eye: an immunocytochemical and electron microscopical study. Eye 1990;4:42–57
Jonas JB, Mardin CY, Scholtzer-Schrehardt U, Naumann GO . Morphometry of the human lamina cribrosa surface. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1991;32:401–5
Miglior S, Rossetti L, Lonati C, Orzalesi N . Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy of the optic disc at the level of the lamina cribrosa. Curr Eye Res 1998;17:453–61
Quigley H, Pease ME, Thibault D . Change in the appearance of elastin in the lamina cribrosa of glaucomatous optic nerve heads. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 1994;232:257–61
Albon J, Karwatowski WS, Avery N, Easty DL, Duance VC . Changes in the collagenous matrix of the aging human lamina cribrosa. Br J Ophthalmol 1995;79:368–75
Yan DB, Coloma FM, Metheetrairut A, Trope GE, Heathcote JG, Ethier CR . Deformation of the lamina cribrosa by elevated intraocular pressure. Br J Ophthalmol 1994;78:643–8
Fujimoto JG, Brezinski ME, Teamey GJ, Boppart SA, Bouma B, Hee MR, et al . Optical biopsy and imaging using optical coherence tomography. Nature Med 1995;1:970–2
Gurses-Ozden R, Ishikawa H, Hoh ST, Liebmann JM, Mistlberger A, Greenfield DS, et al . Increasing sampling density improves reproducibility of optical coherence tomography measurements [in process citation]. J Glaucoma 1999;8:238–41
Pieroth L, Schuman JS, Hertzmark E, Hee MR, Wilkins JR, Coker J, et al . Evaluation of focal defects of the nerve fiber layer using optical coherence tomography. Ophthalmology 1999;106:570–9
Schuman JS, Pedut-Kloizman T, Hertzmark E, Hee MR, Wilkins JR, Coker JG, et al . Reproducibility of nerve fiber layer thickness measurements using optical coherence tomography [see comments]. Ophthalmology 1996;103:1889–98
Podoleanu AG, Seeger M, Dobre GM, Webb DJ, Jackson DA, Fitzke FW . Transverse and longitudinal images from the retina of the living eye using low coherence reflectometry. J Biomed Optics 1998;3:12–20
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fitzke, F. Imaging the optic nerve and ganglion cell layer. Eye 14, 450–453 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2000.130
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2000.130
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Imaging apoptosis in the eye
Eye (2011)