Ganglion cell inner plexiform layer thickness measured by optical coherence tomography to predict visual outcome in chiasmal compression

We evaluated the prognostic value of the preoperative macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) thickness along with peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and estimated an optimal cut-off value to predict postoperative visual field (VF) recovery in adult patients with chiasmal compression after decompression surgery. Two hundred forty eyes of 240 patients aged 20 years or older for which preoperative high-definition Cirrus OCT parameters and pre- and postoperative visual function data were available. The prognostic power of pRNFL and mGCIPL thicknesses for complete postoperative VF recovery or significant VF improvement (improvement ≥ 2 dB in the mean deviation) were assessed. The cut-off values for OCT parameters for VF recovery were estimated. The study found that the higher the preoperative pRNFL and mGCIPL thicknesses, the higher the probability of complete postoperative VF recovery ( p = 0.0378 and p = 0.0051, respectively) or significant VF improvement ( p = 0.0436 and p = 0.0177, respectively). The area under the receiver operating characteristic analysis of preoperative OCT parameters demonstrated that the mGCIPL thickness showed an area under the curve (AUC) of more than 0.7 for complete VF recovery after decompression surgery (AUC = 0.725, 95% CI: 0.655, 0.795), and the optimal mGCIPL thickness cut-off value for complete VF recovery was 77.25 µm (sensitivity 69% and specificity 69%). Preoperative mGCIPL thickness was a powerful predictor of visual functional outcome after decompression surgery for chiasmal compression.