Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements: uveitis, a major confounding factor

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Uveitis can affect ocular structures, potentially influencing measurements used in glaucoma diagnosis.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is crucial for assessing retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, a key indicator in glaucoma management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate OCT RNFL measurements in patients with active and quiescent uveitis.
• To compare these measurements with and without glaucoma against normative data.
• To assess the impact of uveitis on RNFL thickness interpretation.

Main Methods:

• A comparative, retrospective pilot study.
• OCT RNFL measurements were obtained from 76 uveitic eyes without glaucoma and 135 uveitic eyes with glaucoma.
• Global and sectoral RNFL thickness measurements were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Active uveitis showed significantly increased global and sectoral RNFL thickness compared to quiescent uveitis and normative data.
• Uveitic eyes with glaucoma, both active and quiescent, exhibited greater RNFL thickness than expected for their glaucoma stage.
• Mean global RNFL OCT measurements were 140.5 microns in active non-glaucomatous uveitis versus 107.8 microns in quiescent non-glaucomatous uveitis.

Conclusions:

• Uveitis is a significant confounding factor in RNFL thickness assessment.
• Increased RNFL thickness in active uveitis and uveitic glaucoma challenges the reliability of OCT scans for glaucoma detection and monitoring.
• Further research is needed to refine OCT interpretation in uveitic eyes.