Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness after a single attack of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma measured with optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE After a single unilateral acute primary angle-closure glaucoma attack, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) may be thinned. The current study measured the RNFL thickness using optical coherence tomography in eyes with normal visual fields after recovery from a single attack of acute primary angle-closure glaucoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-one patients and age-matched control subjects underwent optical coherence tomography scanning after recovery from a single unilateral acute primary angle-closure glaucoma attack. Data from the affected eyes, normal fellow eyes, and control subjects were compared. RESULTS Average RNFL thickness was 91.3 +/- 16.4 microm in the affected eyes, 100.1 +/- 16.4 microm in the fellow eyes, and 100.2 +/- 16.7 microm in the control eyes. Significant thinning was present in the affected eyes compared to the fellow eyes (P = .001) and the control eyes (P = .04). CONCLUSION RNFL thickness was found to be significantly thinner in the eyes with angle-closure glaucoma.