Abstract
Purpose: :
: to investigate the changes in RNFL in hyperopic patients suffering from primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). In hyperopia, the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) tends to be thicker than normal, whereas glaucomatous patients present a reduction in RNFL. It is not known how the RNFL appearance is in patient presenting both glaucoma and hyperopia.
Methods: :
eighteen hyperopic patients with POAG (36 eyes), 12 age-matched hyperopic patients without POAG (24 eyes) and 10 age-matched emmetropic healthy subjects (20 eyes) entered the study. All the participants (n = 40; mean age = 54 years; males/females = 18/22) underwent to peripapillary RNFL measurement by OCT, axial eye length measurement by ultrasound biometry, refraction exam, contrast sensitivity test, automated visual field test and ophthalmoscopic assessment of cup/disk ratio. Pearson's test, ANOVA and multiple comparison tests were applied for statistical purposes.
Results: :
In hyperopic eyes, axial length inversely correlated with refractive error (r=-0.96; P<0.001) and with RNFL (r=-0.36; P=0.08). Consequently, RNFL was slightly thicker in hyperopic eyes than emmetropic eyes, being respectively 104.37 ± 4.73 µm and 101.76 ± 3.58 µm (P=0.042), whereas it was significantly thinner (88,58 ± 14,68 µm) in hyperopic glaucomatous eyes (P<0.001). Moreover, the RNFL thickness was inversely correlated with POAG duration (r = -0.48; P=0.04).
Conclusions: :
POAG induces a reduction in RNFL, that is also evident in hyperopic eye with POAG. The RNFL reduction seems to progress during time, as it is correlated with the duration of the disease.
Keywords: nerve fiber layer • hyperopia • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)