Optical Coherence Tomography and Glaucoma

Annu Rev Vis Sci. 2021 Sep 15:7:693-726. doi: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100419-111350. Epub 2021 Jul 9.

Abstract

Early detection and monitoring are critical to the diagnosis and management of glaucoma, a progressive optic neuropathy that causes irreversible blindness. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become a commonly utilized imaging modality that aids in the detection and monitoring of structural glaucomatous damage. Since its inception in 1991, OCT has progressed through multiple iterations, from time-domain OCT, to spectral-domain OCT, to swept-source OCT, all of which have progressively improved the resolution and speed of scans. Even newer technological advancements and OCT applications, such as adaptive optics, visible-light OCT, and OCT-angiography, have enriched the use of OCT in the evaluation of glaucoma. This article reviews current commercial and state-of-the-art OCT technologies and analytic techniques in the context of their utility for glaucoma diagnosis and management, as well as promising future directions.

Keywords: OCT; glaucoma; imaging; optical coherence tomography.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Blindness
  • Glaucoma* / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Optic Nerve Diseases* / diagnostic imaging
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods