Optical coherence tomography analysis of the inner retinal layers in children.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine a correlation between the optic nerve head (ONH) area, the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL), and the ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thicknesses, measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in children.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of 358 eyes in 358 children, 187 belonging to males (52.2%), having a mean age of 6.41 ± 1.66 years and spherical equivalent 0.22 ± 0.50 D. All subjects were imaged with Cirrus HD-OCT. ONH parameters, pRNFL, and macula thicknesses maps for each subject were obtained.

RESULTS

Average pRNFL thickness was 100.19 ± 10.10 μm and average GCIPL thickness was 85.29 ± 5.54 μm. Thirty-eight eyes (10.6%) had megalopapilla. A positive correlation was found between pRNFL thickness and the ONH area, GCIPL thickness and the ONH area, and pRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses.

CONCLUSIONS

In children, a positive correlation was found between pRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses and the ONH area. As the ONH area increases, the pRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses measured by OCT increase, supporting the histological observations that large discs have a higher number of ganglion cells. Consequently, the fixed diameter of the OCT scan does not influence these measurements. We suggest that a future normative database of OCT measurements adapted to children adjust the pRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses with the ONH area.