J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2014 Sep;55(9):1334-1339. 10.3341/jkos.2014.55.9.1334.

Comparison of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layers in Patients with Non-Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Normal Controls

• Kim JY
• Chung H
• Kim HC

• KMID: 2217117
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2014.55.9.1334

Abstract

PURPOSE
In neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), it is reported that retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness becomes gradually thinner due to degeneration of the outer retinal layer. To our knowledge, there is no previous report regarding RNFL thickness in patients with non-neovascular AMD. Therefore, in this study, we compared RNFL thickness in patients with non-neovascular AMD and normal controls.
METHODS
Thirty-one eyes with AMD category 3a (AREDS research group), 11 eyes suffering foveal geographic atrophy AMD category 4a, and 31 age-matched normal eyes were evaluated. In every group, regional RNFL thickness (General, Temporal, Superotemporal, Superonasal, Superior, Nasal, Inferonasal, Inferotemporal, and Inferior) was measured using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
RESULTS
There were no significant differences in age or intraocular pressure among the 3 groups. The mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (log MAR) of the category 4a group was significantly decreased compared to those of the other 2 groups. The mean RNFL thickness in total area in the category 3a group, category 4a group, and normal control group was 99.5 +/- 14.0 microm, 99.3 +/- 9.4 microm, and 99.4 +/- 9.6 microm, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. No other regional mean values of RNFL thickness in the three groups were significantly different.
CONCLUSIONS
There was no significant difference in RNFL thickness between non-neovascular patients and the control group.

Keyword

Non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration; Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness; Spectral domain optical coherence tomography

MeSH Terms

Geographic Atrophy
Humans
Intraocular Pressure
Macular Degeneration*
Nerve Fibers*
Retinaldehyde*
Tomography, Optical Coherence
Visual Acuity
Retinaldehyde

Figure

• 

  Figure 1. Representative case of a 67-year old patient with non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). (A) means retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness of each region. (B) Fundus photography showed multiple large drusen. (C) Peripapillary RNFL thickness at 360 degree was within normal range in this patient. TS = temporosuperior; NS = nasosuperior; T = temporal; G = general; N = nasal; TI = temporoinferior; NI = nasoinferior; TMP = temporal; SUP = superior; NAS = nasal; INF = inferior.

• 

  Figure 2. Representative case of a 62-year old patient with non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with foveal geographic atrophy. (A) means retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness of each region. (B) Fundus photography showed foveal geographic atrophy. (C) Peripapillary RNFL thickness at 360 degree was within normal range in this patient although there were local regions having slightly decreased thickness.

Reference

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