title: Epiretinal membrane as a source of errors during the measurement of peripapillary nerve fibre thickness using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to examine the extent to which measurement errors in the determination of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) occur in cases of epiretinal membrane and whether systematic deviations are found in the values obtained.
  
  
  METHODS
  A macular scan and a circumpapillary scan were performed on 97 eyes of 97 patients using SD-OCT. Group 1 comprised 53 patients with epiretinal membrane at an age of 70 ± 4.8 years (median ± average absolute deviation). Group 2 consisted of 44 patients without any macular pathologies (median age 70 ± 5.8 years). Differences in the thickness of the RNFL and segmentation errors in the detection of the RNFL were recorded quantitatively in both groups and checked for statistical significance using non-parametric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median central retinal thickness in Group 1 was 357 ± 79 μm (median ± average absolute deviation), and in Group 2 it was 270 ± 11 μm (p < 0.001). The result of the quadrant-by-quadrant measurement of the average RNFL in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively, was: temporal 88 ± 17 and 73 ± 9 μm, inferior 121 ± 17 and 118 ± 15 μm, nasal 87 ± 15 and 89 ± 14 μm and superior 115 ± 15 and 114 ± 9 μm. Temporally, the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Segmentation errors of the RNFL were found in 19 of 53 eyes (35.8 %) in Group 1 and in no eyes (p < 0.001) in Group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In eyes with epiretinal membrane, measuring errors in the SD-OCT occur significantly more frequently than in eyes without any retinal pathologies. If epiretinal membrane and glaucoma are present simultaneously, the results of the automated RNFL measurement using SD-OCT should be critically scrutinised, even if no papillary changes are visible clinically.
authors: nordBLICK Eye Clinic Bellevue, Lindenallee 21/23, 24105, Kiel, Germany. f.ruefer@nordblick.de.
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Rüfer
authors: University of Münster Medical Center, Domagkstrasse 15, 48149, Münster, Germany.
authors: Julia Jasmin
authors: JJ
authors: Bartsch
authors: Eye Clinic Wittenbergplatz, Kleiststr. 23-26, 10787, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Carl
authors: C
authors: Erb
authors: nordBLICK Eye Clinic Bellevue, Lindenallee 21/23, 24105, Kiel, Germany.
authors: Anneliese
authors: A
authors: Riehl
authors: Practice Zeitz Franko Zeitz, Blumenstrasse 11-15, 40212, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors: Philipp Franko
authors: PF
authors: Zeitz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
keywords: Epiretinal membrane; Measuring error; Optical coherence tomography; Peripapillary nerve fibre thickness