Quantitative analysis of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness of normal children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the normal range of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness of normal children and adolescents by optical coherence tomography (OCT).


METHODS
This study analyzed 144 eyes of 72 normal children and adolescents by OCTIII (Zeiss-Humphrey, San Leandro, CA., USA) and the results were compared with the RNFL thickness of Korean adults.


RESULTS
The mean RNFL thickness of the 72 normal children and adolescents was 105.53 +/- 10.33 microm. The mean values for left and right eyes were 104.28 +/- 7.68 microm and 106.79 +/- 12.98 microm, respectively. There was no significant difference in mean RNFL thickness between the 4 quadrants of the left and right eyes (p=0.926). Additionally, the mean RNFL thickness showed a similar size pattern regardless of age (p=0.99). RNFL thickness was found to be greater in adults than in children or adolescents, although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.295). Likewise, no significant difference was found with gender (p=0.822) or in the pattern of RNFL thickness of 12 sectors between children and adults (p=0.08).


CONCLUSIONS
This study reports RNFL thickness, as determined by OCT, for normal children and adolescents. We found this measurement method to be suitable for the early diagnosis of glaucoma and to the examination of its progression in these subjects. The findings could be used as clinical parameters for adolescent glaucoma.
Ahn
Han-Cheul
HC
Department of Ophthalmology, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Son
Hyuk-Woo
HW
Kim
Jae Suk
JS
Lee
Joo Hwa
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012016:Reference Values; D012160:Retina / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence