Abstract
Aims
To establish four normal retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness radial profiles based on third-generation optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to compare them with previously reported histologic measurements.
Methods
A total of 20 normal eyes were studied. A circular scan was adjusted to the size of the optic disc and three scans were performed with this radius and every 200 μm thereafter, up to a distance of 1400 μm. Four different radial sections (superotemporal, superonasal, inferonasal, and inferotemporal) were studied to establish RNFL thickness OCT profiles. Additionally, two radial scans orientated at 45 and 135° crossing the optic disc centre were performed in six of 20 eyes, and RNFL thickness was measured at disc margin.
Results
Quadrant location and distance from disc margin interaction in RNFL thickness was statistically significant (P<0.001). The RNFL thickness decreased (P<0.001) as the distance from the disc margin increased for all sections. The measurements automatically generated by the OCT built-in software were thinner (P<0.001) than histologic ones close to the disc margin.
Conclusions
Four normal OCT RNFL profiles were established and compared with histological data obtained from the same area. RNFL measurements assessed by OCT 3 were significantly thinner close to the optic disc margin.
Similar content being viewed by others
Log in or create a free account to read this content
Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com
or
References
Huang D, Swanson EA, Lin CP, Schuman JS, Stinson WG, Chang W et al. Optical coherence tomography. Science 1991; 254: 1178–1181.
Hee MR, Izatt JA, Swanson EA, Huang D, Shuman JS, Lin CP et al. Optical coherence tomography of the human retina. Arch Ophthalmol 1995; 113: 325–332.
Schuman JS, Hee MR, Puliafito CA, Wong C, Pedut-Kloizman T, Lin CP et al. Quantification of nerve fiber layer thickness in normal and glaucomatous eyes using optical coherence tomography. Arch Ophthalmol 1995; 113: 586–596.
Toth CA, Narayan DG, Boppart SA, Hee MR, Fugimoto JG, Birngruber R et al. A comparison of retinal morphology viewed by optical coherence tomography and by light microscopy. Arch Ophthalmol 1997; 115: 1425–1428.
Jaffe GJ, Caprioli J . Optical coherence tomography to detect and manage retinal disease and glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 2004; 137: 156–169.
Costa RA, Calucci D, Teixeira LF, Cardillo JA, Bonomo PP . Selective occlusion of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in pathologic myopia using a new technique of ingrowth site treatment. Am J Ophthalmol 2003; 135: 857–866.
Costa RA, Cardillo JA, Morales PH, Jorge R, Uno F, Farah ME . Optical coherence tomography evaluation of idiopathic macular hole treatment by gas-assisted posterior vitreous detachment. Am J Ophthalmol 2001; 132: 264–266.
Costa RA, Calucci D, Cardillo JA, Farah ME . Selective occlusion of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in angioid streaks using a new technique of ingrowth site treatment. Ophthalmology 2003; 110: 1192–1203.
Costa RA, Scapucin L, Moraes NS, Calucci D, Melo Jr LA, Cardillo JA et al. Indocyanine green-mediated photothrombosis as a new technique of treatment for persistent central serous chorioretinopathy. Curr Eye Res 2002; 25: 287–297.
Greaney MJ, Hoffman DC, Garway-Heath DF, Nakla M, Coleman AL, Caprioli J . Comparison of optic nerve imaging methods to distinguish normal eyes from those with glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2002; 43: 140–145.
Pieroth L, Schuman JS, Hertzmark E, Hee MR, Wilkins JR, Coker J et al. Evaluation of focal defects of the nerve fiber layer using optical coherence tomography. Ophthalmology 1999; 106: 570–579.
Bowd C, Weinreb RN, Williams JM, Zangwill LM . The retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in ocular hypertensive, normal, and glaucomatous eyes with optical coherence tomography. Arch Ophthalmol 2000; 118: 22–26.
Guedes V, Schuman JS, Hertzmark E, Wollstein G, Correnti A, Mancini R et al. Optical coherence tomography measurement of macular and nerve fiber layer thickness in normal and glaucomatous human eyes. Ophthalmology 2003; 110: 177–189.
Sommer A, Katz J, Quigley HA, Miller NR, Robin AL, Richter RC et al. Clinical detectable nerve fiber atrophy precedes the onset of glaucomatous field loss. Arch Ophthalmol 1991; 109: 77–83.
Kerrigan-Baumrind LA, Quigley HA, Pease ME, Kerrigan DF, Mitchell RS . Number of ganglion cells in glaucoma compared with visual field test in the same person. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2000; 41: 741–748.
Ugurlu S, Hoffman D, Garway-Heath DF, Caprioli J . Relationship between structural abnormalities and short-wavelength perimetric defects in eyes at risk of glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 2000; 129: 592–598.
Schuman JS, Pedut-Kloizman T, Hertzmark E, Hee MR, Wilkins JR, Coker JG et al. Reproducibility of nerve fiber layer thickness measurements using optical coherence tomography. Ophthalmology 1996; 103: 1889–1898.
Blumenthal EZ, Williams JM, Weinreb RN, Girkin CA, Berry CC, Zangwill LM . Reproducibility of nerve fiber layer thickness measurements by use of optical coherence tomography. Ophthalmology 2000; 107: 2278–2282.
Carpineto P, Ciancaglini M, Zuppardi E, Falconio G, Doronzo E, Mastropasqua L . Reliability of nerve fiber layer thickness measurements using optical coherence tomography in normal and glaucomatous eyes. Ophthalmology 2003; 110: 190–195.
Paunescu LA, Schuman JS, Price LL, Stark PC, Beaton S, Ishikawa H et al. Reproducibility of nerve fiber thickness, macular thickness, and optic nerve head measurements using StratusOCT. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2004; 45: 1716–1724.
Patella VM . Establishment of normative reference values for retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements. Available at: http://www.meditec.zeiss.com/C125679E00525939/EmbedTitelIntern/Stratus_OCT_ndb_paper/$File/czm_ndb_paper.pdf.
Varma R, Skaf M, Barron E . Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in normal human eyes. Ophthalmology 1996; 103: 2114–2119.
Balazsi AG, Rootman J, Drance SM, Schulzer M, Douglas GR . The effect of age on the Human nerve fiber population of the human optic nerve. Am J Ophthalmol 1984; 97: 760–766.
Dichtl A, Jonas JB, Naumann GOH . Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in human eyes. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 1999; 237: 474–479.
Ogden TE . Nerve fiber layer of primate retina: morphometric analysis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1984; 25: 19–29.
Jones AL, Sheen NJL, North RV, Morgan JE . The Humphrey optical coherence tomography scanner: quantitative analysis and reproducibility study of the normal human retinal nerve fiber layer. Br J Ophthalmol 2001; 85: 673–677.
Williams ZY, Schuman JS, Gamell L, Nemi A, Hertzmark E, Fujimoto JG et al. Optical coherence tomography measurement of nerve fiber layer thickness and the likelihood of a visual field defect. Am J Ophthalmol 2002; 134: 538–546.
Acknowledgements
Supported in part by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP Grant no: 98/14270-8).Competing interest statement: R Varma, Consultant—Carl Zeiss Meditec; All other authors: none.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Skaf, M., Bernardes, A., Cardillo, J. et al. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness profile in normal eyes using third-generation optical coherence tomography. Eye 20, 431–439 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.eye.6701896
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.eye.6701896
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Microperimetry, Humphrey field analyzer, and optical coherence tomography in detecting glaucoma: a comparative performance study
International Ophthalmology (2022)
-
Effects of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab with or without anterior chamber paracentesis on intraocular pressure and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness: a prospective study
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (2017)
