[Comparison of the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in patients with myopia of different degrees]

To evaluate and compare the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in patients with myopia of different degrees by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT).

The study included 42 healthy Caucasian patients (69 eyes) of the same ethnicity (Azeris) with myopia of different degrees. Peripapillary RNFL assessment was performed using RNFL Thickness Average Analysis Report, Stratus OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA). For statistical evaluation of the results Student and Wilcoxon tests were applied.

The study revealed that high myopia, unlike moderate and low myopia, is associated with a statistically significant decrease of the RNFL thickness in the inferior and superior quadrants. At the same time patients with moderate myopia, unlike those with low myopia, showed a statistically significant decrease of the RNFL thickness in the inferior and nasal quadrants. The RNFL thickness in moderate myopia was significantly decreased at 1, 4, and 6 o'clock, while in high myopia--at 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 o'clock. CONCLUSIONS. RNFL thickness measurements depend on the axial length and refraction of the eye--the higher myopia and the longer the anterior-posterior axis the thinner is the RNFL. Despite the usefulness of the stratus OCT normative database for identification of eye diseases that are associated with RNFL thinning, one should be very careful when analyzing myopia.