How Often Should Healthy Optic Nerves be Scanned for the Development of Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy?

Background: No data exist for the time period required for the conversion of healthy optic nerves to glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON).It is not possible to predict which patients will develop glaucoma.Periodic screening of ONHs via nerve fiber layer (NFL) scans might allow for the early detection of GON.Method: Retrospective chart review of patients who developed definitive unilateral (n = 18) or bilateral (n = 13) glaucoma to determine time course for conversion to/discovery of GON, as corroborated by optic nerve head (ONH) evaluation, NFL scans, and automated visual field (VF) perimetry.Results: Median time of conversion for this cohort was 7 years for unilateral and 8 years for bilateral GON.Conclusion: Screening ONHs/NFL at five-year intervals may be adequate for the detection of new cases of GON in its early stages.