title: Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness measurements by optical coherence tomography in patients with sleep apnoea syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study aims to investigate whether retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) abnormalities can be detected in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome with normally appearing optic disc.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is an observational case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eight consecutive patients with moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) as determined by overnight polysomnography and normal looking discs and 108 age-matched healthy controls were included in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients underwent RNFL examinations by optical coherence tomography using fast retinal nerve fibre layer thickness scan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main outcome measure was RNFL thickness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate regression analysis results showed that the RNFL was thinner for a patient with OSAHS than that of a normal control in the average by 4.20 μm (P < 0.003), in the superior quadrant by 4.83 μm (P = 0.028) and in the inferior quadrant by 5.19 μm (P = 0.016). RNFL thickness did not correlate with the severity of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RNFL thinning was detected in normal-looking discs of patients with advanced OSAHS, but the extent of this thinning did not correlate with the severity of the disease. Longitudinal follow-up is needed to clarify whether RNFL thinning in OSAHS patients with normal clinically appearing optic nerves will eventually lead to glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, The Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sagiv
authors.forename: Tagil
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fishelson-Arev
authors.forename: Gila
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buckman
authors.forename: Nurit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mathalone
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolfson
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Segev
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peled
authors.forename: Idit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lavi
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Geyer
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D017286:Polysomnography; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
keywords: glaucoma; obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome; optical coherence tomography; retinal nerve fibre layer