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Normative Database of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in a Caucasian Pediatric Population
Ondřej Polách1,2, Michal Koubek1,2,3, Juraj Timkovič1,3
1Clinic of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Insights
This study established normative retinal nerve fiber layer thickness data for healthy Caucasian children aged 5-15 years. Findings reveal a negative association between age and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in pediatric populations.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Imaging
- Pediatric Eye Care
Background:
- Establishing normative data for ocular parameters is crucial for diagnosing eye conditions in children.
- Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a key technology for measuring retinal structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generate normative data for peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (p-RNFL) thickness in healthy Caucasian children.
- To utilize the OCT Spectralis instrument for precise p-RNFL measurements in a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study included 154 healthy Caucasian children aged 5-15 years with normal ocular findings.
- p-RNFL thickness was measured using 3.5 mm circular scans with the OCT Spectralis SD-OCT instrument.
- Global and sectoral p-RNFL thickness values were statistically analyzed.
Main Results:
- Normative p-RNFL thickness data were successfully acquired for the target pediatric population.
- No significant differences in p-RNFL thickness were observed between the left and right eyes.
- A negative correlation was found between increasing age and p-RNFL thickness, particularly in the nasal-inferior sector.
Conclusions:
- A high-quality normative database for p-RNFL thickness in Caucasian children was created.
- This database will enhance the accuracy of interpreting p-RNFL measurements in pediatric ophthalmology.
- The findings highlight age-related changes in p-RNFL thickness during childhood.
Purpose:
Here, we aimed to obtain normative data for the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in the peripapillary area (p-RNFL) using the spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in healthy Caucasian children using the OCT Spectralis instrument.
Methods:
Caucasian patients of our hospital 5-15 years with spherical equivalent refraction of ±2 diopters, physiological ocular findings, delivered at gestational age ≥38 weeks, whose legal guardians volunteered with their participation in this cross-sectional study and signed informed consent were included. Exclusion criteria were a personal history of toxoplasmosis and other diseases that could potentially affect p-RNFL thickness. Results of 3.5 mm circular p-RNFL scans with automatic calculation of the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness were prospectively collected. Both eyes were measured in each participant and values for the global diameter (G) and average thickness in six sectors (NS, N, NI, TI, T, TS) were determined and statistically evaluated.
Results:
154 patients were included, with a mean age of 11.03 years. We have acquired data for p-RNFL in healthy Caucasian children aged 5-15 years and used them to create a normative database for improving the quality of the interpretation of the p-RNFL results in children. No significant differences between the left and right eyes in the same individuals were detected. However, a negative association between age and p-RNFL thickness, in particular in the NI sector, was revealed.
Conclusions:
We have created a high-quality normative database that will allow us to accurately interpret the results of p-RNFL measurements in the Caucasian pediatric population.
