Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Causes of ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thinning in myopic eyes

  • Miscellaneous
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The present study aimed to determine the main cause of ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thinning in long myopic eyes.

Methods

Optical coherence tomography was performed in 53 subjects with moderate or high myopia (53 eyes; myopia group) and 20 emmetropic subjects (20 eyes; control group). All subjects were over the age of 40 years.

Results

Compared groups did not differ in age, sex, and radius of corneal curvature. Spherical equivalent in the myopia group was − 8.2 ± 3.3 D (from − 4.0 to − 22.6 D). A specialized computer program was created to study the effect of the ocular magnification on the average GCIPL thickness. Based on the data of control subjects, a mathematical model was constructed, which showed a very little effect of ocular magnification on GCIPL thickness. It was confirmed by real measurements. After correction by the program, GCIPL thickness in myopes increased only slightly (from 73.9 ± 5.2 to 75.0 ± 5.2 μm, P < 0.000) remaining much lower than in controls (79.7 ± 6.3 μm, P < 0.000). Modeling myopic eye as an ellipsoid showed a significant increase in its surface area compared with emmetropia. Retinal stretching associated with an increase in the surface area of the eyeball explained most of the thinning of GCIPL in myopia.

Conclusions

Ocular magnification is responsible for only a minor part of GCIPL thinning in myopia. Stretching of the retina in a long eye is the main cause of the GCIPL thinning. Myopic normative databases should be created to account for the GCIPL thinning in highly myopic eyes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lee WJ, Kim YK, Park KH, Jeoung JW (2017) Trend-based analysis of ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness changes on optical coherence tomography in glaucoma progression. Ophthalmology 124:1383–1391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.03.013

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Yang Z, Tatham AJ, Weinreb RN, Medeiros FA, Liu T, Zangwill LM (2015) Diagnostic ability of macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer measurements in glaucoma using swept source and spectral domain optical coherence tomography. PLoS One 10:e0125957. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125957

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Higashide T, Ohkubo S, Hangai M, Ito Y, Shimada N, Ohno-Matsui K, Terasaki H, Sugiyama K, Chew P, Li KK, Yoshimura N (2016) Influence of clinical factors and magnification correction on normal thickness profiles of macular retinal layers using optical coherence tomography. PLoS One 11:e0147782. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0147782

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Hirasawa K, Shoji N (2013) Association between ganglion cell complex and axial length. Jpn J Ophthalmol 57:429–434. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-013-0241-0

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Koh VT, Tham YC, Cheung CY, Wong WL, Baskaran M, Saw SM, Wong TY, Aung T (2012) Determinants of ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness measured by high-definition optical coherence tomography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 53:5853–5859. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.12-10414

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Mwanza JC, Sayyad FE, Aref AA, Budenz DL (2012) Rates of abnormal retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layer OCT scans in healthy myopic eyes: Cirrus versus RTVue. Ophthalmic Surg. Lasers Imaging 43(6 Suppl):S67–S74. https://doi.org/10.3928/15428877-20121003-01

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Seo S, Lee CE, Jeong JH, Park KH, Kim DM, Jeoung JW (2017) Ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness according to myopia and optic disc area: a quantitative and three-dimensional analysis. BMC Ophthalmol 17:22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-017-0419-1

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Sezgin Akcay BI, Gunay BO, Kardes E, Unlu C, Ergin A (2017) Evaluation of the ganglion cell complex and retinal nerve fiber layer in low, moderate, and high myopia: a study by RTVue spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Semin Ophthalmol 32:682–688. https://doi.org/10.3109/08820538.2016.1170157

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Takeyama A, Kita Y, Kita R, Tomita G (2014) Influence of axial length on ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness and on GCC thickness to retinal thickness ratios in young adults. Jpn J Ophthalmol 58:86–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-013-0292-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ueda K, Kanamori A, Akashi A, Tomioka M, Kawaka Y, Nakamura M (2016) Effects of axial length and age on circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and inner macular parameters measured by 3 types of SD-OCT instruments. J Glaucoma 25:383–389. https://doi.org/10.1097/IJG.0000000000000216

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Littmann H (1982) Determination of the real size of an object on the fundus of the living eye. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd 180:286–289

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bennett AG, Rudnicka AR, Edgar DF (1994) Improvements on Littmann’s method of determining the size of retinal features by fundus photography. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 232:361–367

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kim NR, Kim JH, Lee J, Lee ES, Seong GJ, Kim CY (2011) Determinants of perimacular inner retinal layer thickness in normal eyes measured by Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 52:3413–3418. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.10-6648

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Leung CK, Cheng AC, Chong KK, Leung KS, Mohamed S, Lau CS, Cheung CY, Chu GC, Lai RY, Pang CC, Lam DS (2007) Optic disc measurements in myopia with optical coherence tomography and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 48:3178–3183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kang SH, Hong SW, Im SK, Lee SH, Ahn MD (2010) Effect of myopia on the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer measured by Cirrus HD optical coherence tomography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 51:4075–4080. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.09-4737

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Atchison DA, Jones CE, Schmid KL, Pritchard N, Pope JM, Strugnell WE, Riley RA (2004) Eye shape in emmetropia and myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 45:3380–3386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Nakanishi H, Akagi T, Hangai M, Kimura Y, Suda K, Kumagai KK, Morooka S, Ikeda HO, Yoshimura N (2015) Sensitivity and specificity for detecting early glaucoma in eyes with high myopia from normative database of macular ganglion cell complex thickness obtained from normal non-myopic or highly myopic Asian eyes. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 253:1143–1152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-3026-y

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Seol BR, Kim DM, Park KH, Jeoung JW (2017) Assessment of optical coherence tomography color probability codes in myopic glaucoma eyes after applying a myopic normative database. Am J Ophthalmol 183:147–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2017.09.010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Bikbov MM, Kazakbaeva GM, Gilmanshin TR et al (2019) Axial length and its associations in a Russian population: The Ural Eye and Medical Study. PLoS One 14:e0211186. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211186

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Yanoff M, Sassani JW (2009) Ocular pathology, 6th edn. Elsevier Inc, Philadelphia, p 423

    Google Scholar 

  21. Heegaard S, Grossniklaus H (eds) (2015) Eye pathology: an illustrated guide. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, p 346

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wu PC, Chen YJ, Chen CH, Chen YH, Shin SJ, Yang HJ, Kuo HK (2008) Assessment of macular retinal thickness and volume in normal eyes and highly myopic eyes with third-generation optical coherence tomography. Eye (Lond) 22:551–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Gupta P, Sidhartha E, Tham YC, Chua DK, Liao J, Cheng CY, Aung T, Wong TY, Cheung CY (2013) Determinants of macular thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography in healthy eyes: the Singapore Chinese Eye study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 54:7968–7976. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.13-12436

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Myers CE, Klein BE, Meuer SM, Swift MK, Chandler CS, Huang Y, Gangaputra S, Pak JW, Danis RP, Klein R (2015) Retinal thickness measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in eyes without retinal abnormalities: the Beaver Dam Eye Study. Am J Ophthalmol 159:445–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2014.11.025

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Anton A. Evsyukov, MS for his work programming the specialized computer program for correction of the ocular magnification. This work was presented in part at the ARVO Annual Meeting 2019 in Vancouver, Canada.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution, 59A Beskudnikovsky Blvd., Moscow, Russian Federation, 127486

    Alexander A. Shpak & Maria V. Korobkova

Authors
  1. Alexander A. Shpak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria V. Korobkova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexander A. Shpak.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shpak, A.A., Korobkova, M.V. Causes of ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thinning in myopic eyes. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 258, 3–7 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-019-04513-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-019-04513-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation