Correlation between lateral geniculate nucleus atrophy and damage to the optic disc in glaucoma - 20/02/13

Doi : 10.1016/j.neurad.2012.10.004

Zhiqi Chen ^a, Junming Wang ^a, Fuchun Lin ^b, Hui Dai ^c, Ketao Mu ^c, Hong Zhang ^a,^⁎
^a Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030 Wuhan, China
^b State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academic of Sciences, 430071 Wuhan, China
^c Radiology Department, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030 Wuhan, China

^?Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 27 83662689.

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Summary

Purpose

To investigate the relationship between morphological changes in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and damage to the optic disc in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients.

Methods

A total of 23 patients with POAG and 23 age- and gender-matched non-glaucomatous subjects were enrolled. Every patient had structural damage to the optic disc. Cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) and retinal nerve ?ber layer thickness (RNFLT) were measured, and 3.0-Tesla MRI examinations performed. Bilateral LGNs were identified and manually extracted, and their maximum heights and volumes compared with the clinical damage to the optic disc.

Results

In POAG patients, morphological changes in LGNs and RNFLT were consistently varied (P<0.05), while a negative correlation between LGN measurements and CDR was observed (P<0.05). LGN height was more signi?cantly correlated with damage to the optic disc than was LGN volume. In contrast, no signi?cant correlation was found between morphological changes in LGNs and age or optic disc parameters in the non-glaucomatous controls (P>0.05).

Conclusion

LGN atrophy in POAG patients was altered in a manner consistent with damage to the optic disc. Morphological changes in LGNs as measured by MRI and especially LGN maximum height may be useful ways to detect optic nerve neuropathy in glaucoma.

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Keywords : Glaucoma, Lateral geniculate nucleus, Magnetic resonance imaging