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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
Optical Coherence Tomography: Imaging Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells In Vivo
Published on: September 22, 2017
[Morphological features of an optic nerve in premature infants according to the optical coherence tomography data]
I B Astasheva1, M R Guseva1, R Atamuradov1
1Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
Insights
Premature infants show reduced retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, linked to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and intraventricular hemorrhage. Optical coherence tomography and visual evoked potentials aid neuro-ophthalmologic diagnosis in these children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Neonatology
Context:
- Premature infants face long-term risks to visual development.
- Assessing the visual analyzer's morphological state is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the long-term morphological status of the visual system in premature infants.
- To correlate visual analyzer changes with prematurity-related complications.
Summary:
- Preterm infants exhibit thinner retinal nerve fiber layers (RNFL) compared to term infants, irrespective of retinopathy of prematurity or refractive error.
- RNFL thickness loss is inversely proportional to the severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).
- Foveal retinal thickness is greater in preterm infants, correlating with IVH severity and duration of mechanical ventilation.
Impact:
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual evoked potentials (VEP) enhance neuro-ophthalmologic diagnostic capabilities for preterm infants.
- RNFL thinning is a predictable indicator in preterm infants with HIE and IVH, guiding clinical monitoring.
Objective:
To assess the morphological state of the visual analyzer in premature infants in long-term.
Material And Methods:
We examined 40 premature children (74 eyes) aged 10.3±2.92 years (gestational age (GA) 25-34 weeks, birth weight (BW) 690-2700 g). Twenty mature children (40 eyes), aged 10.8±3.05 years, were examined as a control group. The children underwent standard ophthalmologic examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and recording of visual evoked potentials (VEP).
Results:
The thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) is less in preterm infants than in term infants, regardless of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and refraction (p<0.05). Thickness loss has an inverse proportion with the degree of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (p<0.05). Retinal thickness in fovea is significantly greater in preterm infants and has a direct proportionality with the degree of IVH and the number of days on artificial lung ventilation (p<0.05). Moderate organic changes were detected in conduction pathways in 43.08% of premature infants according to VEP data.
Conclusion:
The use of OCT and recording of VEP may improve the quality of comprehensive neuro-ophthalmologic diagnosis in preterm infants. The thickness loss of RNFL can be expected in premature infants with HIE and IVH.
