New imaging techniques are allowing more objective quantification of glaucoma diagnosis and progression, according to study results published online ahead of print by the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Joel S. Schuman of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, US and colleagues used a variety of different methods to identify structural abnormalities of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) that are associated with glaucoma.

Scanning laser polarimetry, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and segmentation algorithms were all found to produce less subjective results when compared with standard photography, allowing greater accuracy when quantifying glaucomatous progression. The team also considered experimental imaging techniques, including polarization sensitive OCT and ultra-fast OCT.

The team concluded that these refinements in imaging techniques are allowing doctors to move away from subjective quantification of glaucoma to more accurate and objective methods.