Thinner peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and macular retinal thickness in adolescents with surgically treated...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Neuroscience
• Pediatric Neurosurgery and Neurology

Background:

• Hydrocephalus (HC) is a condition characterized by excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the brain.
• Surgical treatment for HC in infancy can have long-term effects on neurological and visual development.
• Understanding the ocular morphology in adolescents with treated HC is crucial for monitoring potential complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively map the retinal and optic disc morphology in adolescents with a history of surgically treated hydrocephalus (HC).
• To compare these ocular parameters with those of healthy, age-matched control subjects.
• To investigate potential correlations between visual acuity and specific retinal measurements in the HC group.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 26 adolescents with surgically treated HC (mean age 15 years) and 31 healthy controls underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT).
• Key OCT parameters measured included macular retinal thickness (MRT), macular retinal volume (MRV), peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (ppRNFL) thickness, and optic disc/cup/rim area.
• Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was assessed and correlated with OCT findings in the HC group.

Main Results:

• Adolescents with HC exhibited significantly thinner MRT and MRV, and thinner ppRNFL compared to controls.
• Conversely, the central macular RNFL and foveal minimum were found to be thicker in the HC group.
• No significant differences were observed in optic disc morphology between the HC and control groups. BCVA correlated negatively with ppRNFL thickness and disc area in the HC group.

Conclusions:

• Surgically treated HC in infancy is associated with distinct retinal morphological changes in adolescence, including thinner ppRNFL and MRT but thicker central macular RNFL.
• These findings highlight potential long-term ocular effects of HC and its treatment.
• Further research is warranted to explore the diagnostic utility of OCT for timely detection of increased intracranial pressure and for long-term follow-up in individuals with treated HC.