Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in amblyopic eyes

PURPOSE: To compare the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness of sound and amblyopic eyes. DESIGN: Prospective observational case series. METHODS: Setting: Institutional. Study population: Patients with unilateral strabismic, anisometropic, or combined amblyopia. Observation: Fast RNFL analysis with ocular coherence tomography (OCT) of sound and amblyopic eyes. Measure: Mean RNFL thickness. RESULTS: For the 17 patients (mean age 10.7 years) in whom both eyes were imaged, the mean thickness of the sound eye was 109.2 microm (median 112.7) and of the amblyopic eye was 104.2 microm (median 105.0), and the average difference (sound eye less amblyopic eye) was 5.0 microm (median 3.0) (95% confidence interval -2.3, 12.2, P = .17). The sound eye was 10 microm or more thicker than the amblyopic eye in four patients; the amblyopic eye was 10 microm or more thicker than the sound eye in one patient; and the difference was within 10 microm in 12 patients. Test-retest data were obtained for 23 pairs of sound eyes and 21 pairs of amblyopic eyes, with 75% of the test-retest pairs within 7%. CONCLUSIONS: We found a small, but not clinically significant, difference in nerve fiber layer (NFL) thickness between amblyopic and sound eyes. Reliability was excellent, with most eyes testing within 7% of the first test.     

Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in unilateral amblyopia

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that eyes with amblyopia may have thicker retina, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) was investigated in patients with unilateral amblyopia. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with unilateral amblyopia were studied. Among them, 20 patients had amblyopia with strabismus and 18 had refractive amblyopia without strabismus. Nineteen of 38 had anisometropia of 2.0 D or more. In addition, 17 patients with anisometropia of 2.0 D or more but without amblyopia were enrolled as control subjects. RNFLT was measured by optical coherence tomography with scan pattern "Nerve Head 2.0R" (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA). Average RNFLT was multiplied with their corresponding scan circumferences to estimate the integral values of the total RNFL area (RNFLT(estimated integrals)). RESULTS: In all 38 patients with unilateral amblyopia, the difference in RNFLT and in RNFLT(estimated integrals) between the amblyopic eyes and the normal fellow eyes were statistically significant. Multivariate regression analysis with adjustment for axial length, spherical equivalence, age, and sex indicated significant differences as well. In the group of strabismic amblyopia, the difference in RNFLT and in RNFLT(estimated integrals) between the amblyopic eyes and the normal fellow eyes did not reach statistical significance. However, in the group of refractive amblyopia, the difference in RNFLT and in RNFLT(estimated integrals) between the amblyopia eyes and the normal fellow eyes both had a statistical significance. In the 19 patients with anisometropic amblyopia, the difference in RNFLT and in RNFLT(estimated integrals) between the amblyopic eyes and the normal fellow eyes were statistically significant. In the control group of 17 patients with nonamblyopic anisometropia, the difference in RNFLT and in RNFLT(estimated integrals) between both eyes did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: RNFLT may be affected by refractive amblyopia, but further histopathologic confirmation is needed.     

Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in congenital color vision deficiency

PURPOSE: To evaluate the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in subjects with congenital red-green color vision deficiency (CVD). METHODS: This study included 20 healthy subjects with congenital red-green CVD and 22 healthy subjects with normal color vision. After Ishihara test and examinations visual field by automated perimetry, all individuals underwent scanning laser polarimetry to measure the thickness of the RNFL. RESULTS: All scanning laser polarimetry parameters related to RNFL thickness were found to be similar in subjects with congenital CVD and normal color vision (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report suggesting normal thickness of the RNFL in subjects with congenital red-green CVD.     

Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness evaluation using optical coherence tomography in eyes with optic disc hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between disc hemorrhage and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: RNFL thicknesses were measured using optical coherence tomography at the location of disc hemorrhage, at the superior or inferior symmetrical area of the same eyes, and at equivalent locations in contralateral eyes without disc hemorrhage. RNFL thicknesses were compared using the paired-sample t test. For recurrent hemorrhages, the correlation between the number of recurrences and RNFL thickness was examined using Kendall's tau-b method. RESULTS: Thirty-two disc hemorrhages were found in 32 eyes with normal tension or primary open-angle glaucoma. RNFL thicknesses in areas with disc hemorrhage were thinner than those in superior or inferior symmetrical locations in the same eyes (81.7 +/- 32.9 vs 100.7 +/- 34.5 microns, P = .005), but were not different from those in equivalent locations in contralateral eyes (92.8 +/- 31.7 microns, P = .092). Number of recurrent hemorrhages and RNFL thicknesses at sites of recurrent hemorrhages tended to show a negative correlation (correlation coefficient = -0.260, P = .079). CONCLUSIONS: Disc hemorrhage is associated with RNFL thinning measured by optical coherence tomography, and a negative correlation was found between recurrent hemorrhages and RNFL thickness.     

应用视神经纤维分析仪检测正常人视网膜神经纤维层厚度

目的 探讨正常人的视网膜神经纤维层厚度及其象限比值与年龄的关系。方法 应用视神经每人义检测１９８例（１９８只眼）正常志愿者,并按年龄分组进行统计分析。结果 ＲＮＦＬＴ与年龄成负相关,上、下方象限厚度较鼻、颞侧大,与年龄相关、鼻、颞侧无此特点。上、下方象限厚度比值平均为１．０４１。结论 ＮＦＡ是测量ＲＮＦＬＴ的可靠方法,正常人的ＲＮＦＬＴ随年龄的增长而减少。     

Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured with optical coherence tomography is related to visual function in glaucomatous eyes

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between areas of glaucomatous retinal nerve fiber layer thinning identified by optical coherence tomography and areas of decreased visual field sensitivity identified by standard automated perimetry in glaucomatous eyes. DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-three patients with glaucomatous optic neuropathy identified by optic disc stereo photographs and standard automated perimetry mean deviations >-8 dB were included. METHODS: Participants were imaged with optical coherence tomography within 6 months of reliable standard automated perimetry testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The location and number of optical coherence tomography clock hour retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measures outside normal limits were compared with the location and number of standard automated perimetry visual field zones outside normal limits. Further, the relationship between the deviation from normal optical coherence tomography-measured retinal nerve fiber layer thickness at each clock hour and the average pattern deviation in each visual field zone was examined by using linear regression (R(2)). RESULTS: The retinal nerve fiber layer areas most frequently outside normal limits were the inferior and inferior temporal regions. The least sensitive visual field zones were in the superior hemifield. Linear regression results (R(2)) showed that deviation from the normal retinal nerve fiber layer thickness at optical coherence tomography clock hour positions 6 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 8 o'clock (inferior and inferior temporal) was best correlated with standard automated perimetry pattern deviation in visual field zones corresponding to the superior arcuate and nasal step regions (R(2) range, 0.34-0.57). These associations were much stronger than those between clock hour position 6 o'clock and the visual field zone corresponding to the inferior nasal step region (R(2) = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Localized retinal nerve fiber layer thinning, measured by optical coherence tomography, is topographically related to decreased localized standard automated perimetry sensitivity in glaucoma patients.     

Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in the fellow eyes of normal-tension glaucoma patients with unilateral visual field defect

PURPOSE: To quantitatively evaluate retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in the fellow eyes of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients with unilateral visual field defect. DESIGN: Observational case-control study. METHODS: Twenty-nine NTG patients with unilateral visual field defect were enrolled in this study. All 29 fellow eyes showed normal visual field. Thirty-one normal eyes of 31 subjects served as controls. The RNFL thickness around the optic disk was determined using Fast RNFL thickness (3.4) of optical coherence tomography. Average and segmental (4 quadrants and 12 clock- hours) RNFL thickness measurements were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: RNFL thicknesses were significantly different among the three groups in the average, superior quadrant (11 and 12 clock-hour segments), and inferior quadrant (6 clock-hour segment) (P = .00, one-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests). CONCLUSIONS: RNFL thickness reductions are already present in the fellow eyes of NTG patients with unilateral visual field defect.     

Retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness in children with obesity

AIM: To evaluate retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness analysis of peripapillary optic nerve head (PONH) and macula as well as ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness in obese children. METHODS: Eighty-five children with obesity and 30 controls were included in the study. The thicknesses of the PONH and macula of each subject’s right eye were measured by high-resolution spectral-domain optic coherence tomography (OCT). RESULTS: The RNFL thicknesses of central macular and PONH were similar between the groups (all P>0.05). The GCIPL thickness was also similar between the groups. However, the RNFL thickness of temporal outer macula were 261.7±13.7 and 268.9±14.3 µm for the obesity and the control group, respectively (P=0.034). CONCLUSION: Obesity may cause a reduction in temporal outer macular RNFL thickness.     

Nerve fiber analyzer measuring retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in normal and glaucomatous eyes

目的客观测量和比较青光眼病人与正常人视网膜神经纤维层（ＲＮＦＬ）厚度。方法用神经纤维分析仪（ＮＦＡ）对１５例（２５眼）开角青光眼病人及２５例（４２眼）正常人视盘区神经纤维层厚度进行测量,然后经计算机自动分析求出上、下、颞、鼻４个区ＲＮＦＬ厚度及平均厚度,所得数据经统计学分析。结果青光眼患者上、下区域ＲＮＦＬ平均厚度分别为（８４．４７±１２．０９）μｍ和（７７．４９±１６．６３）μｍ,总平均厚度（７２．５１±１２．０９）μｍ,均低于正常人［分别为（１０４．９２±２０．５６）μｍ,（９５．４８±１５．６２）μｍ和（８６．１５±１４．７５）μｍ）］,统计学差异有显著意义（Ｐ＜０．０１）;颞、鼻侧厚度与正常人差异不明显。结论ＲＮＦＬ厚度分析可望作为青光眼早期诊断依据之一。