Ganglion cell complex thickness in nonexudative age-related macular degeneration

TO evaluate ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in eyes with nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (NEAMD).

Forty-seven eyes of 28 patients with nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (NEAMD) and 54 eyes of 28 age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. Each subject underwent a complete ophthalmic examination before SD-OCT were obtained. Macular scans were taken with software version 6.0 of the ganglion cell analysis (GCA) algorithm. GCC thickness was evaluated automatically as the average, minimum, temporal superior, superior, nasal superior, nasal inferior, inferior, and temporal-inferior segments by SD-OCT and parameters were compared between groups.

The mean age was 68.7±8.73 years in patient group, and 61.51±5.66 years in control group. There were no significant differences in mean age, gender distribution, intraocular pressure, and sferic equivalent at imaging between the groups (P>0.05). The mean (±SD) GCC thicknesses were as follows; average 71.53±16.53 μm, minumum 62.36±21.51 μm, temporal superior 72.23±14.60 μm, superior 72.76±20.40 μm, nasal superior 72.31±20.13 μm, nasal inferior 69.74±20.51 μm, inferior 69.38±19.03 μm, and temporal-inferior 73.12±15.44 μm in patient group. Corresponding values in control group were 81.46±4.90 μm, 78.66±6.00 μm, 81.51±4.66 μm, 82.94±5.14 μm, 81.79±5.86 μm, 80.94±6.18 μm, 80.14±6.30 μm, and 81.75±5.26 μm, respectively. There were significant differences between two groups in each segments (Mann-Whitney U-test, P<0.05).

The average GCC thickness values (in all segments) of NEAMD patients were lower than control group. NEAMD, which is considered as a disease of outer layers of retina, may be accompanied with a decrease of ganglion cell thickness, so inner layers of retina may be affected.