Spectral domain optical coherence tomography in children: normative data and biometric correlations

BACKGROUND The aim was to report normative values of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular parameters in children using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to perform correlations with age, refractive error and axial length. METHODS This was an observational cross-sectional study recruiting 113 healthy children aged 6 to 17 years with no ocular abnormality except refractive error. After a comprehensive eye examination and axial length measurement, RNFL and macular thickness measurements were performed using the Cirrus OCT machine. Main outcome measures were macular volume, macular thickness and RNFL thickness values as well as their correlations with age, refractive error and axial length. Right eyes of all subjects were selected for analysis. RESULTS One hundred and eight children were included in the study, 65 females and 43 males. Mean age was 10.7+/-3.1 years, average spherical equivalent refraction (SE) was -0.02+/-1.77(-4.25 to +5.00) diopters and average axial length was 23.5+/-1.0 (21.5 to 25.8)mm. Mean RNFL thickness was 95.6+/-8.7 μm, average macular thickness was 279.6+/-12.5 μm, central macular thickness was 249.1+/-20.2 μm, and mean macular volume was 10.1+/-0.5 mm(3). Central macular thickness values were significantly higher in males (p < 0.001). RNFL measurements did not correlate with age but did show a positive correlation with SE. All macular parameters were consistently positively correlated with age and most of them were positively correlated with SE. When controlling for axial length, only the macular inner circle thickness was positively correlated with age. CONCLUSIONS Using Cirrus OCT, normative RNFL and macular parameters in healthy children below 18 years of age were established; measurements varied by age and gender.