PURPOSE

To investigate retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL-T) and peripapillary choroidal thickness (PC-T) in non-glaucomatous optic atrophy (OA) patients in comparison with unaffected and control eyes, furthermore, to compare thickness profiles with unilateral pseudoexfoliative advanced glaucoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-three eyes with OA (Group A), 33 unaffected fellow eyes (Group B), 25 right eyes of 25 control subjects (Group C), and 15 eyes with advanced glaucoma (Group D) were enrolled. RNFL-T was measured in six regions by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography was obtained to evaluate PC-T in corresponding regions.

RESULTS

RNFL-T was significantly lower in Group A than in Groups B and C globally and at all peripapillary regions (all p < 0.001). P-CT in Group A was significantly lower globally (p = 0.03) and in three regions (temporal, p = 0.001; temporal-superior, p = 0.01; and nasal-inferior, p = 0.037) versus Group C. However, it was significantly thinner than in Group B in all regions (temporal, p = 0.02; temporal-superior, p = 0.013; nasal-superior, p = 0.044; nasal, p = 0.02; nasal-inferior, p < 0.001; and temporal-inferior, p < 0.001) and globally (p < 0.001). In Group A RNFL-T (thicker superiorly and inferiorly; thinner temporally and nasally) and PC-T (superior > temporal > nasal > inferior) profiles were almost identical to that in unaffected fellow eyes and control eyes. However, Group D showed different patterns with less regional differences in RNFL-T, and the greatest value of PC-T in nasal quadrant.

CONCLUSIONS

Besides retinal nerve fiber layer thinning, non-glaucomatous OA is associated with choroidal thinning. The RNFL-T and PC-T profiles in advanced glaucoma eyes differed from the common patterns seen among OA eyes, unaffected fellow eyes, and control eyes.