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Correlation between optic disc area and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness: a study on scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation

  • Clinical Investigation
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate if a significant increase of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness can be measured in a sample of healthy eyes by means of scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (GDx-VCC) as the optic disc (OD) area increases.

Methods

One eye each of 232 healthy subjects (mean age: 57.8 years; range:40–70) was considered. Temporal-superior-nasal-inferior-temporal average (TSNIT Avg) and OD area (area within the ellipse placed on inner border of peripapillary scleral ring) values were collected. Ellipse horizontal and vertical diameters provided on printout were used to estimate OD area using the equation: OD area = π × horizontal radius×vertical radius. TSNIT Avg values were plotted against OD area and a multiple linear regression including age calculated.

Results

Mean OD area was 2.19 mm2±0.45 (range: 1.23–3.59) and mean TSNIT Avg was 54.3 μ ± 3.2 (range: 45.8–61.8). Multiple linear regression equation was TSNIT Avg=57.7−0.096×OD Area−0.055×Age (Pearson r=−0.146: p=0.086)

Conclusion

In our sample of healthy eyes, no significant correlation was found between TSNIT Avg and OD area. In spite of a shorter distance between OD and measurement ellipse margins, larger discs did not necessarily show a thicker RNFL. Probably the large inter-subject variability for RNFL thickness, and then for axonal count, was a predominant factor over OD area.

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Acknowledgement

Authors thank Prof AP Accardo for his statistical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eye Clinic, University of Trieste, Piazza dell’Ospedale 1, 34129, Trieste, Italy

    Stefano Da Pozzo, Pierluigi Iacono, Luca Michelone, Marco Paoloni & Giuseppe Ravalico

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  1. Stefano Da Pozzo
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  2. Pierluigi Iacono
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  3. Luca Michelone
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  4. Marco Paoloni
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  5. Giuseppe Ravalico
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Correspondence to Stefano Da Pozzo.

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None of the authors have any financial or proprietary interest with products cited in the text.

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Da Pozzo, S., Iacono, P., Michelone, L. et al. Correlation between optic disc area and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness: a study on scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 245, 511–515 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-006-0434-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-006-0434-z

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