Normative posterior pole asymmetry analysis data in healthy Caucasian population

The aim of this study is to evaluate the variability of central retinal thickness asymmetry in healthy Caucasian adults with the posterior pole asymmetry analysis to serve as a reference.

In total, 404 eyes of 202 subjects who aged between 18 and 80 years, who had no ocular pathology, were included in this cross-sectional observational study. Retinal thickness maps with posterior pole asymmetry analysis mode were taken with the optical coherence tomography (SPECTRALIS SD-OCT; Heidelberg Engineering). Superior and inferior hemifields were divided into five zones resembling to the strategy in Glaucoma Hemifield Test. Mean retinal thickness in each of the five zones was compared with the thickness of the corresponding zone in each eye (paired-samples t-test), and differences in retinal thickness (DRT1-5) and ganglion cell layer thickness between reciprocal locations were measured. Differences in retinal thickness values of two eyes of each subject were also compared (independent-samples t-test).

The intra-eye asymmetry was statistically significant in zones 4 and 5. The highest mean intraocular differences in retinal thickness were 5.8 µm (zone 5) in all eyes, 5.8 µm (zone 5) in the right eyes, and 5.9 µm (zones 4 and 5) in the left eyes. The only statistically significant interocular local differences in retinal thickness asymmetries were found in zone 3. The intraocular asymmetry in retinal thickness was found to be the lowest in zone 1. The differences of ganglion cell layer thickness (GCLTs) were not statistically significant.

There were statistically significant physiological inter-eye asymmetry in zone 3 and intra-eye asymmetries in zones 4 and 5. These measurements must be considered during screening for glaucoma with posterior pole asymmetry analysis in the Caucasian population.