Optical coherence tomography detects characteristic retinal nerve fiber layer thickness corresponding to band atrophy of the optic discs.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in eyes with band atrophy by use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to evaluate the ability of OCT to detect this characteristic pattern of RNFL loss.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, retrospective study.


METHODS
Thirty-four eyes of 18 patients with bitemporal hemianopia caused by optic chiasm compression by chiasmal tumors were studied. All eyes were divided into 3 groups according to visual field loss grading after Goldmann perimetry.


METHODS
Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements with OCT.


METHODS
Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness around the optic disc was measured by OCT (3.4-mm diameter circle). Calculation of the changes in OCT parameters, including the horizontal (nasal + temporal quadrant RNFL thickness) and vertical values (superior + inferior quadrant RNFL thickness) was based on data from 160 normal eyes. Comparison between the 3 visual field grading groups was done with the analysis of variance test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the horizontal and vertical value were calculated, and the areas under the curve (AUC) were compared.


RESULTS
Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in eyes with band atrophy decreased in all OCT parameters. The reduction rate in average and temporal RNFL thickness and horizontal value was correlated with visual field grading. The AUC of horizontal value was 0.970+/-0.011, which was significantly different from AUC of vertical value (0.903+/-0.022).


CONCLUSIONS
The degree of RNFL thickness reduction correlated with that of visual field defects. Optical coherence tomography was able to identify the characteristic pattern of RNFL loss in these eyes.
Kanamori
Akiyasu
A
Department of Organ Therapeutics, Division of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. kanaaki@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
Nakamura
Makoto
M
Matsui
Noriko
N
Nagai
Azusa
A
Nakanishi
Yoriko
Y
Kusuhara
Sentaro
S
Yamada
Yuko
Y
Negi
Akira
A
D019540:Area Under Curve; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009896:Optic Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009897:Optic Chiasm / Q000473:pathology; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D019574:Optic Nerve Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D012372:ROC Curve; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence