Analysis of Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Distribution in Normal Young Adults

Abstract

PURPOSE. To determine the anatomic variations in the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness distribution and the relationship between these anatomic variations and other ocular variables. METHODS. A complete ophthalmic examination, including measurement of visual acuity, refraction, and axial length, was performed on 269 subjects with no ophthalmic abnormalities. Further, fundus photographs and optic disc cube scans of the subjects' eyes were obtained with a fundus camera and spectral domain OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dubin, CA), respectively. The distance between the foveola and the center of the optic nerve head was measured. The correlations of the angles of the peaks in the RNFL thickness profile with the axial length, spherical equivalent of refractive error (SE), and distance between the foveola and optic disc center were analyzed by simple linear regression. RESULTS. Considerable interindividual variations were found in the angles of the peaks in the RNFL thickness profile. Further, the angles in the eyes in each individual showed significant differences. The angles of the superior and inferior first peak correlated significantly with the SE, axial length, and distance between the foveola and optic disc center. CONCLUSIONS. Subjects with increased distance between the foveola and optic disc center are likely to have a temporal shift in peak RNFL thickness. RNFL profiles with horizontally deviated peak RNFL thickness differ considerably from the normative data provided with the HD-OCT system. The variations in RNFL thickness profiles should be taken into account.

Retinal nerve fiber layer and optic disc measurements by spectral domain OCT: normative values and associations in young adults

“…Their values for CDRs were 0.47 (average) and 0.47 (vertical), which were similar to the current study. Hong et al, 17 who examined 269 (96% male) normal Korean military personnel aged 19 to 26 years, found an average RNFL thickness of 98.2±8.6 mm, which is very similar to our value in males of 98.8 ± 9.8 mm and slightly less than our value for East Asians of 100.1 ± 9.4 mm. This study did not present optic disc data.…”

“…[16][17][18][19][20] The largest OCT study to date is by Knight et al, 16 who presented data on 271 normal subjects aged 18-84 years. They had an average RNFL thickness of 94.0 mm (SE 0.6) (adjusted for age and disc area) in their multi-ethnic population.…”

“…The purpose of this study is to determine normal values for Cirrus HD-OCT-measured RNFL and optic disc parameters in a large population-based sample of young adults aged [16][17][18][19] years, and to determine whether demographic and ocular factors impact on these measurements. We believe that this young population is ideal for such investigations as they are relatively free of confounding ocular disease.…”

Relationship Between Position of Peak Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness and Retinal Arteries on Sectoral Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness

“…14 It has been reported that the thickness of the supratemporal and infratemporal RNFL bundles, and the position of the peak RNFL thickness are shifted in eyes with longer axial lengths (ALs). 15,16 Thus, the supratemporal RNFL bundle is shifted closer to the fovea in highly myopic eyes than in low myopic eyes (Fig. 1).…”

Relationship Between Location of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Defect and Curvature of Retinal Artery Trajectory in Eyes With Normal Tension Glaucoma

“…[11][12][13] This shift of the myopic RNF bundle can lead to paracentral NFLDs in glaucomatous myopic eyes because of its location. We have reported that the trajectory of the temporally-thick retinal nerve fiber bundles and retinal arteries can be described by a second degree polynomial equation.…”