OCT Results in Myopia: Diagnostic Difficulties in Clinical Practice?

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Retinal Imaging

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a key non-invasive imaging technique for the posterior eye segment.
• Image quality is vital for accurate diagnosis, yet refractive errors can reduce diagnostic data, particularly for retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness in myopic and hyperopic eyes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess changes in RNFL, GCL thickness, and optic disk/rim areas in myopic eyes using OCT before and after refractive correction.
• To determine the impact of contact lenses or glasses on OCT measurements in eyes with refractive errors.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, cross-sectional pilot study involved 43 eyes from 22 patients with myopia and/or hyperopia, with or without astigmatism.
• OCT imaging was performed on participants both with and without their corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses).

Main Results:

• Significant changes were observed in average and minimum values of RNFL thickness, GCL thickness, rim area, and disk area after refractive correction.
• These findings indicate that uncorrected refractive errors influence OCT measurements.

Conclusions:

• OCT examination with correction is recommended for myopic patients (>-2.50 D) with borderline data to avoid misinterpretation.
• Uncorrected myopic eyes may exhibit thinner RNFL and GCL and smaller disk areas, potentially misleading ophthalmologists.