Biomedical subjects

M Zeppieri

Publications and source records attributed to M Zeppieri.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Probing glaucoma visual damage by rarebit perimetry.

AIM: To compare rarebit perimetry (RBP) with standard achromatic perimetry (SAP) in detecting early glaucomatous functional damage. METHODS: 43 patients with ocular hypertension (OH), 39 with early primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), and 41 controls were considered. Visual fields were assessed using the Humphrey field analyser (HFA) 30-2 and RBP tests. Differences among the groups were evaluated using Student-Newman-Keuls and chi(2) tests. Correlation between HFA and RBP parameters was assessed using the Pearson's correlation coefficients and regression analysis. Sensitivity and specificity of RBP in detecting early glaucomatous visual damage were calculated with different algorithms. RESULTS: RBP-mean hit rate (MHR) was respectively 88.6% (SD 4.8%) in controls; 79.1% (10.9%) in the OH group; 64.3% (13.8%) in the POAG group (differences statistically significant). Good correlation in the POAG group was found between HFA-mean deviation and RBP-MHR. Largest AROC (0.95) and optimal sensitivity (97.4%) were obtained when an abnormal RBP test was defined as having (at least 1): MHR <80%; >15 areas with a non-hit rate of >10%; > or =2 areas with a non-hit rate of >50%; at least one area with a non-hit rate of > or =70%. CONCLUSIONS: The RBP appeared to be a rapid, comfortable, and easily available perimetric test (requiring only a PC device), showing a high sensitivity and specificity in detecting early glaucomatous visual field defects.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Corneal thickness and functional damage in patients with ocular hypertension.

PURPOSE: To correlate functional damage over time detected by standard automated perimetry (SAP) and frequency doubling technology (FDT) with central corneal thickness (CCT) in patients with ocular hypertension (OHT). METHODS: Seventy-eight OHT patients underwent CCT measurements, SAP, and FDT (the latter two also after 12 and 18 months). Patients were divided into three equally sized groups of 26 patients each: thin (< 540 microm), normal (540-580 microm), and thick cornea (> 580 microm). The frequency of abnormal FDT and SAP results was analyzed over time (Pearson chi2 test). RESULTS: Six of 26 patients with thin corneas (23.1%) presented an abnormal FDT test at baseline, compared to 1 of 26 (3.8%) in the normal thickness cornea group and 1 of 26 (3.8%) in the thick cornea group. After 12 months, the abnormal FDT tests were as follows, respectively: 9 of 26 (34.6%), 2 of 26 (7.7%), and 2 of 26 (7.7%). For SAP the abnormal results were as follows, respectively: 8 (30.1%), 5 (19.2%), and 2 (7.7%). After 18 months, the abnormal FDT tests were as follows, respectively: 16 (61.5%), 5 (19.2%), and 5 (19.2%). For SAP, the abnormal results were as follows, respectively: 10 (38.5%), 5 (19.2%), and 2 (7.7%). CONCLUSIONS: OHT patients with thinner corneas have a greater risk of developing functional damage over time.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Discrimination between normal and early glaucomatous eyes with scanning laser polarimeter with fixed and variable corneal compensator settings.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ability of scanning laser polarimetry (SLP) with a fixed corneal polarization compensator (GDx-FCC Nerve Fiber Analyzer) compared to one with a variable one (GDx-VCC) in the discrimination between healthy and early glaucomatous eyes. METHODS: Forty patients with early glaucomatous visual field defects, having a mean deviation of 3.1-/+1.6 dB and a pattern standard deviation of 3.1-/+0.9 dB, and 40 controls underwent both GDx-FCC and GDx-VCC. One eye per patient was considered. The cut-off point, taken as the value dividing healthy from glaucomatous eyes with highest probability, was determined for each GDx parameter. Linear discriminant functions (LDFs) were separately developed for GDx-FCC and GDx-VCC parameters. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AROC) for discriminating between healthy and glaucomatous eyes were calculated for each GDx parameter, both according to the GDx normative database and after the selection of new cut-off points, and for the LDFs. RESULTS: All software-provided parameters showed low sensitivity and high specificity. The selection of new cut-off points improved the performance of all GDx parameters: VCC parameters performed better than FCC parameters; the largest AROCs were associated with the superior/nasal ratio for the GDx-FCC (0.86) and with the Number for the GDx-VCC (0.87). The LDFs provided an AROC of 0.89 with both the GDx-FCC and the GDx-VCC parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The GDx-VCC showed a higher ability in the early diagnosis of glaucoma when compared with the GDx-FCC. The individuation of the right cut-off point of selected parameters with both GDx settings performed better than the software-provided parameters, and comparably to the GDx parameters-based LDFs.

Adult↗