title: Retinal nerve fiber and optic disc morphology using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in scleroderma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the optic nerve head parameters and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in a systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohort and age-matched controls to determine whether SSc patients have an increased risk of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 30 patients (3 male, 27 female) with SSc and 28 age- and sex-matched controls. Retinal nerve fiber and optic disc morphology were evaluated using Cirrus SD-OCT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Optic disc morphology measurements including disc area, rim area, average and vertical cup/disc (C/D) ratio, and cup volume were not significantly different between the study groups. The average and 4-quadrant retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurements of the C/D >0.3 subgroups were not significantly different in the patients and controls. These values were also similar for the C/D >0.5 subgroups except that the average inferior quadrant RNFL thickness of the right eyes in the patient subgroup was significantly thinner than in the control subgroup (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our SSc cohort had relatively shorter disease duration but increased prevalence of early glaucomatous damage signs. Our findings indicate that SSc is a risk factor for developing normal-tension glaucoma. Further studies combined with visual field evaluation are necessary to identify the long-term glaucomatous effects of SSc.
authors.affiliation:  Department of Ophthalmology, Ataturk Teaching and Research Hospital, Yesilyurt, Izmir - Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevinc
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahin-Atik
authors.affiliation:  Department of Ophthalmology, Ataturk Teaching and Research Hospital, Yesilyurt, Izmir - Turkey.
authors.forename: Feray
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koc
authors.affiliation:  Department of Internal Medicine, Bigadic Public Hospital, Balikesir - Turkey.
authors.forename: Sirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akin-Sari
authors.affiliation:  Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Ataturk Teaching and Research Hospital, Yesilyurt, Izmir - Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozmen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057066:Low Tension Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014794:Visual Fields