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Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in human eyes
A Dichtl1, J B Jonas, G O Naumann
1University Eye Hospital, Erlangen, Germany.
Summary
The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in normal eyes has a double hump shape, thickest inferiorly and thinnest temporally. Glaucoma causes significant RNFL thinning.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Histology
Background:
- Investigating the structural integrity of the optic nerve head.
- Understanding the normal anatomy of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL).
Purpose of the Study:
- To histomorphometrically measure the thickness of the RNFL at the optic disc border in normal and glaucomatous human eyes.
- To characterize the RNFL thickness distribution in different quadrants and poles of the optic disc.
Main Methods:
- Histomorphometric analysis of histological sections from 22 normal and 21 glaucomatous human eyes.
- Serial sectioning of optic disc areas in three normal eyes for detailed analysis.
Main Results:
- Normal RNFL exhibits a double hump configuration, thickest in the inferior (266±64 µm) and superior (240±57 µm) quadrants.
- RNFL thickness varied by disc pole: inferior (397±58 µm), superior (313±38 µm), nasal (165±19 µm), and temporal (131±15 µm).
- Eyes with glaucoma showed significantly reduced RNFL thickness (40±18 µm) with no regional differences.
Conclusions:
- The RNFL in healthy eyes displays a distinct double hump pattern, with the thickest part at the inferior disc pole and thinnest at the temporal disc pole.
- Glaucomatous optic neuropathy is associated with substantial backward displacement of the inner limiting membrane, particularly at the temporal, inferior, and superior disc borders.