Ethnic variation in optic disc size by fundus photography

To compare optic disc size among Caucasian, Chinese, African, Filipino and Hispanic subjects recruited from a university-based general ophthalmology clinic.

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, optic disc size was calculated from fundus photographs. Differences in age, sex and spherical equivalent among the ethnic groups were examined with either Kruskal--Wallis test or Chi-square test. Ethnic differences in optic disc size were evaluated with linear mixed-effects regression models that adjusted for age, sex, spherical equivalent, glaucoma status, lens status and use of both eyes in the same subject.

Five hundred and seventy-four eyes of 305 subjects were analyzed. The mean and standard deviation of the optic disc size were 2.16 ± 0.41 mm(2) for Caucasian, 2.30 ± 0.56 mm(2) for Chinese, 2.31 ± 0.41 mm(2) for Filipino, 2.38 ± 0.40 mm(2) for African and 2.40 ± 0.38 mm(2) for Hispanic subjects. Age and spherical equivalent differed among the ethnic groups by Kruskal--Wallis test (p < 0.05). Sex differed among the ethnic groups by Chi-square test (p < 0.05). Ethnic differences in optic disc size were not observed among African, Hispanic, Filipino and Chinese subjects in linear mixed-effects regression analyses (p > 0.05). However, Caucasian differed from the other ethnicities in linear mixed-effects regression analyses (p < 0.05).

Optic disc size was significantly smaller in Caucasian compared to the other ethnic groups. Optic disc size differences among non-Caucasian ethnic groups were not significant.