Use of optical coherence tomography in myopia

PURPOSE: To measure retinal thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness using optical coherence tomography in patients with myopia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients (13 girls and 17 boys) 14 to 18 years old were included in the study. The control group consisted of 15 patients. Each patient was subjected to routine ophthalmic investigations, which included the assessment of visual acuity for near and distant objects, autorefractometry, measurement of intraocular pressure, biometry, and assessment of the static visual field. The foveal retinal thickness and the peripapillary nerve fiber layer thickness were measured using optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: The mean foveal retinal thickness was 231.0 microm in eyes with low myopia, 218.0 microm in eyes with medium myopia, and 178.0 microm in eyes with high myopia. The mean thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer was 150.0 microm, 140.0 microm, and 152.0 microm, respectively. Statistically significant differences were revealed between patients with high myopia and the control group. CONCLUSION: Optical coherence tomography can be employed to assess the retinal thickness and thus facilitate the detection of the evolution of alterations in myopia.