Glaucoma imaging influenced by the presence of cataracts

The presence of cataracts has been shown to influence OCT image quality, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Glaucoma.

A team of researchers, led by Dr Sánchez-Cano of the Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zargoza, Spain, found that the presence of cataracts can affect the quality of the image obtained with a glaucoma imaging device and also that phacoemulsification improved measurements in all cases after cataract removal.

The study group comprised 46 eyes from 46 patients who underwent OCT, confocal laser scanning ophthalmoscopy and a scanning laser polarimetry both pre- and post-phacoemulsification.

It was revealed that all three types of imaging device showed improvement in quality and measurements taken after the patient's cataract had been removed, especially in OCT image quality. Additionally, important differences between pre- and post-op measurements of cup depth and volume parameters were observed.