title: The retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in glaucomatous hydrophthalmic eyes assessed by scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation in comparison with age-matched healthy children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in hydrophthalmic glaucomatous eyes in children with age-matched healthy controls using scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (GDxVCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty hydrophthalmic eyes of 20 patients with the mean age of 10.64 ± 3.02 years being treated for congenital or infantile glaucoma were included in the analysis. Evaluation of RNFL thickness measured by GDxVCC in standard Temporal-Superior-Nasal-Inferior-Temporal (TSNIT) parameters was performed. The results were compared to TSNIT values of an age-matched control group of 120 healthy children published recently as referential values. The correlation between horizontal corneal diameter and RNFL thickness in hydrophthalmic eyes was also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ± SD values in TSNIT Average, Superior Average, Inferior Average and TSNIT SD in hydrophthalmic eyes were 52.3 ± 11.4, 59.7 ± 17.1, 62.0 ± 15.6 and 20.0 ± 7.8 μm, respectively. All these values were significantly lower compared to referential TSNIT parameters of age-matched healthy eyes (p = 0.021, p = 0.001, p = 0.003 and p = 0.018, respectively). A substantial number of hydrophthalmic eyes laid below the level of 5% probability of normality in respective TSNIT parameters: 30% of the eyes in TSNIT average, 50% of the eyes in superior average, 30% of the eyes in inferior average and 45% of the eyes in TSNIT SD. No significant correlation between enlarged corneal diameter and RNFL thickness was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean values of all standard TSNIT parameters assessed using GDxVCC in hydrophthalmic glaucomatous eyes in children were significantly lower in comparison with referential values of healthy age-matched children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology for Children and Adults, Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, FN Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hložánek
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ošmera
authors.forename: Pavlína
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ležatková
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sedláčková
authors.forename: Aleš
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filouš
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001718:Birefringence; D002648:Child; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006871:Hydrophthalmos / Q000473:pathology*; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D057109:Scanning Laser Polarimetry