Differences in optical coherence tomography of the macula in advanced glaucoma and after a retinal artery occlusion

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to evaluate the macular thickness in eyes with advanced glaucoma compared with eyes following a retinal artery occlusion.

Ten patients with a retinal artery occlusion and 10 patients with severe glaucoma were evaluated with OCT using the macular thickness map protocol.

The median thinnest macular sector was 183 microns (range: 152 to 223 microns) in patients with glaucoma versus 143 microns (range: 98 to 177 microns) in patients with arterial occlusion (P = .001). Median macular volume was 5.9 mm3 (range: 5.1 to 6.7 mm3) in patients with glaucoma versus 5.1 mm3 (range: 3.6 to 6.1 mm3) in patients with arterial occlusion (P = .015).

OCT demonstrates that patients with a retinal artery occlusion have significantly reduced macular thickness compared with those with severe glaucoma.