title: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in patients with congenital nystagmus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study macular features in patients with congenital nystagmus and to assess the utility of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in nystagmus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The macular areas of 51 outpatients with congenital nystagmus were examined using SD-OCT. Morphological changes in the retinal layers of the macular area were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Macular images were successfully obtained with SD-OCT from 50 (98%) patients. Patients with ocular albinism mainly have macular hypoplasia, abnormal foveal depression, and increased foveal thickness with persistence of an inner nuclear layer, an inner plexiform layer, a ganglion cell layer and a nerve fiber layer. Macular morphology similar to albinism was observed in three patients with idiopathic macular hypoplasia. The OCT findings of cone dystrophy included unclear, disrupted or invisible photoreceptor outer segment/inner segment in the fovea; fusion, thickening and uneven reflection of the outer segment/inner segment with external limiting membrane. Some patients with congenital idiopathic nystagmus showed normal macular morphology and structure, and others showed indistinct macular external limiting membrane reflection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SD-OCT is an effective and reliable method to detect the macular morphology of congenital nystagmus patients. This technique has diagnostic value in particular for patients with macular hypoplasia and cone cell dystrophy with no distinct abnormality on fundoscopy.
authors.affiliation: Southwest Eye Hospital, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiao-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Yan-Ji
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Shu-Jia
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Jiu-Quan
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Zhang