title: Effects of age, sex, and axial length on the three-dimensional profile of normal macular layer structures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify sex-related differences and age-related changes in individual retinal layer thicknesses in a population of healthy eyes across the lifespan, using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  In seven institutes in Japan, mean thicknesses of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), inner nuclear layer (INL), outer plexiform layer (OPL), outer nuclear layer (ONL), photoreceptor inner segment (IS), and photoreceptor outer segment (OS) were measured using SD-OCT with a new automated segmentation protocol in 256 healthy subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interoperator coefficients of variability for measurements of each layer ranged from 0.012 to 0.038. The RNFL, GCL, IPL, and INL were thinnest in the foveal area, whereas the OPL+ONL and OS were thickest in this area. Mean thicknesses of the INL and the OPL+ONL were significantly greater in men (P = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively). However, mean RNFL thickness was greater in women (P = 0.006). Thicknesses of the RNFL, GCL, IPL, INL, and IS correlated negatively with age. Thickness of the OPL+ONL was not correlated with age, and thickness of the OS correlated positively with age. Inner retinal (RNFL+GCL+IPL) thickness over the whole macula correlated negatively with age (P < 0.001), but outer retinal (OPL+ONL+IS+OS) thickness did not. Thicknesses of layers did not correlate with axial length.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Macular layer thicknesses measured on SD-OCT images in healthy eyes showed significant variations by sex and age. These findings should inform macular layer thickness analyses in SD-OCT studies of retinal diseases and glaucoma.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. ohoto@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors: Sotaro
authors: S
authors: Ooto
authors: Masanori
authors: M
authors: Hangai
authors: Atsuo
authors: A
authors: Tomidokoro
authors: Hitomi
authors: H
authors: Saito
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Araie
authors: Tomohiro
authors: T
authors: Otani
authors: Shoji
authors: S
authors: Kishi
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Matsushita
authors: Naoyuki
authors: N
authors: Maeda
authors: Motohiro
authors: M
authors: Shirakashi
authors: Haruki
authors: H
authors: Abe
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Ohkubo
authors: Kazuhisa
authors: K
authors: Sugiyama
authors: Aiko
authors: A
authors: Iwase
authors: Nagahisa
authors: N
authors: Yoshimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult