Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To investigate a normal range of retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL) thickness by examination through the Optical coherence tomography(OCT) for normal Korean children and juveniles. Methods: For 144eyes of 72 normal Korean children and juveniles (age ranged, 9–18years), we investigated their age, sex, initial intraocular pressure(IOP) and analyzed the RNFL thickness. And we also investigated the significance of the differences in the mean value of RNFL thickness in comparison with Korean adult. Results:The mean RNFL thickness in normal children and juveniles is 105.53µm . The mean value of Lt. eye is 104.28µm, 132.75 ± 16.42µm for superior quadrant, 130.92 ± 15.04µm for inferior, 63.65±14.10µm for nasal, 90.47±20.45µm for temporal. The mean value of Rt. eye is 106.79µm, 132.73 ±23.90µm for superior, 133.34 ±25.32µm for inferior, 75.62 ±13.62µm for nasal, 85.00 ±14.93µm for temporal. Consequently, the mean RNFL thickness is thicker in superior & inferior quadrant than other quadrants of both eyes. But between Lt. eye and Rt. eye, there is no significant difference in mean RNFL thickness and a similar pattern appears in 4 quadrants(superior, inferior, nasal, temporal). The mean RNFL thickness in normal childhood and juveniles shows up similar size regardless of age as 2.14 SD(Standard Deviation). In comparison with a normal adults, the mean RNFL thickness was estimated higher in adult than in children, but there was no significant difference statistically.(p=0.295) And in each quadrant, there was no significant difference in accordance with sex, too.(p=0.822) And between adult and children, there was no significant difference in a pattern of nerve fiber layer of 12 sectors.(p=0.08) Conclusions:Therefore we consider that this investigation will be useful data in diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma in early stage in the childhood and juveniles and can follow up the disease course by presenting the normal mean RNFL thickness in Korean children and juveniles.
Keywords: nerve fiber layer