Optic nerve morphology in normal children

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Pediatric Eye Care

Background:

• Establishing normative optical coherence tomography (OCT) data for pediatric eyes is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
• Existing OCT normative databases primarily consist of adult data, limiting direct comparison for pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To expand the normative database for pediatric eyes using Optovue OCT.
• To compare key optic nerve and retinal parameters in healthy 5-year-old children with adult normative data.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional analysis of 77 healthy 5-year-old children was conducted.
• Optic nerves were assessed using Optovue OCT, measuring retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), and optic nerve head parameters.
• Data were compared to existing Optovue adult normative databases (ages 18-60).

Main Results:

• Children's optic nerve heads showed statistically less cupping (cup area, vertical cup-to-disk ratio, horizontal cup-to-disk ratio) compared to all adult groups (P < 0.0003).
• No significant difference in RNFL or GCC thickness was found between children and adults aged 18-45.
• Children exhibited thicker RNFL and GCC compared to adults aged 55-60 (P < 0.003).

Conclusions:

• Young children possess statistically less cupped optic nerves than normal adults.
• Pediatric RNFL and GCC thickness are greater than in older adults (55-60 years).
• These findings contribute valuable normative OCT data for pediatric eye assessments.