Effect of pupillary dilation on retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements using optical coherence tomography.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of pupillary dilation on retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) measurements using optical coherence tomography (OCT-3).


METHODS
Randomly chosen eyes of healthy individuals were scanned before and after pupillary dilation by two trained operators (R.G.O., R.V.) using OCT-3 (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA). Fast and regular RNFL (256 A-scans) OCT-3 protocols (software version A1.1) were used in each scanning session. RNFL thickness measurements before and after dilation were compared.


RESULTS
Ten eyes of 10 subjects (6 females, 4 males) were enrolled. Mean age was 32.0 +/- 11.2 years (range, 21 to 52 years). Mean pupillary diameter before and after dilation was 2.9 +/- 0.6 mm and 7.6 +/- 0.8 mm, respectively (P < 0.0001, paired t-test). There was no significant difference in RNFL thickness measurements before and after dilation using both fast and regular RNFL protocols (P > or = 0.05 for all comparisons, paired t-test). Mean coefficients of variation for mean RNFL thickness measurements were 15.3% before and 13.7% after dilation for operator 1; and 10.8% before and 12.7% after dilation for operator 2 for the fast RNFL protocol and 11.3% versus 10.4% and 12.9 versus 11.1%, respectively, for the regular RNFL protocol.


CONCLUSIONS
Pupillary dilation is not necessary in all subjects to obtain reproducible RNFL thickness measurements using OCT-3.
Zafar
Samiah
S
Department of Ophthalmology, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York, NY, USA.
Gurses-Ozden
Rabia
R
Vessani
Roberto
R
Makornwattana
Manchima
M
Liebmann
Jeffrey M
JM
Tello
Celso
C
Ritch
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011680:Pupil / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012160:Retina / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012984:Software; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014463:Ultrasonography