Relationship between age and the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer in normal subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To determine it there are any age-dependent changes in the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in the peripapillary area.


METHODS
Sixty normal volunteers (31 men, 29 women) (120 eyes) whose ages ranged from 23-75 years (mean 48.4 years) participated in this study. The thickness of the RNFL was determined using a scanning laser polarimeter along the peripapillary area with a 1.75 disc diameter and along another ring 0.8 mm away from the disc margin.


RESULTS
The thickness of the RNFL was not significantly correlated with age in either of the two ring areas. However, the RNFL thickness ratio of total/nasal area decreased significantly with increase in age in both rings. There was an increase in the difference of RNFL thickness between the right and left eyes of the same individual with aging, in both rings.


CONCLUSIONS
It was suggested that the RNFL thickness determined along both rings demonstrated almost identically the relationship between age and RNFL thickness in normal subjects.
Department of Ophthalmology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan.
S
S
Funaki
M
M
Shirakashi
H
H
Funaki
K
K
Yaoeda
H
H
Abe
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D012160:Retina / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography