Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Measurement by Three-Dimensional Optical Coherence Tomography in a Normal Population

PURPOSE To determine peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness values by three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3D-OCT) in a normal Iranian population and to evaluate the concordance of these measurements with those obtained by the second generation of optical coherence tomography (OCT II). METHODS In a cross-sectional observational study, 96 normal Iranian subjects 20-53 years old were enrolled. Peripapillary RNFL thickness in one randomly selected eye of each subject was measured by 3D-OCT and also by OCT II. Standard achromatic perimetry, corneal pachymetry and A-scan ultrasonographic biometry were also performed. Other study variables included age, gender, laterality (right versus left eye), refractive error, corneal diameter and disc area. RESULTS Mean peripapillary RNFL thickness measured by 3D-OCT (75.50±8.38) μm was significantly less than that measured by OCT II (144.10±33.32 μm) (P<0.001). Using 3DOCT, no significant difference in peripapillary RNFL thickness was observed by gender (P=0.90) or laterality (P=0.17); RNFL thickness had no correlation with age (P=0.95), axial length (P=0.32), spherical equivalent refractive error (P=0.21), central corneal thickness (P=0.66) and disc area (P=0.31). However, a positive correlation was found between peripapillary RNFL thickness and corneal diameter (P=0.03). CONCLUSION 3D-OCT seems to yield lower RNFL thickness values as compared to OCT II. It seems advisable to obtain separate baseline measurements when using different generations of OCT machines.