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Modelling the normal retinal nerve fibre layer thickness as measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography.

Hougaard, Jesper LU ; Ostenfeld, Carl LU ; Heijl, Anders LU and Bengtsson, Boel LU (2006) In Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 244. p.1607-1614
Abstract
Background: The variation in retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) as measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT) in healthy subjects may be reduced when the effect on RNFLT measurements of factors other than disease is corrected for, and this may improve the diagnostic accuracy in glaucoma. With this perspective we evaluated the isolated and combined effects of factors potentially affecting the Stratus OCT RNFLT measurements in healthy subjects. Methods: We included 178 healthy eyes of 178 subjects between 20 and 80 years of age. Participants underwent an extensive eye examination. Stratus OCT RNFLT was measured by three standard protocols, two with high and one with standard image resolution. Effects on RNFLT of age,... (More)
Background: The variation in retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) as measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT) in healthy subjects may be reduced when the effect on RNFLT measurements of factors other than disease is corrected for, and this may improve the diagnostic accuracy in glaucoma. With this perspective we evaluated the isolated and combined effects of factors potentially affecting the Stratus OCT RNFLT measurements in healthy subjects. Methods: We included 178 healthy eyes of 178 subjects between 20 and 80 years of age. Participants underwent an extensive eye examination. Stratus OCT RNFLT was measured by three standard protocols, two with high and one with standard image resolution. Effects on RNFLT of age, gender, refractive error, axial length, lens nuclear colour and opalescence, intra-ocular pressure (IOP), and optic disc size were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Age, refractive error, axial length, and lens nuclear colour and opalescence affected RNFLT in univariate analyses, whereas gender, IOP, and optic disc size had no significant effect. In multivariate analyses only age in combination with refractive error, or with axial length, was significant and explained 14.7-17.6% (R-2 stop) of the total variation of RNFLT, approximately 50% more than age alone. RNFLT decreased by 2.6-2.9 mu m per increasing decade of age and increased by 1.5-1.8 mu m per more positive diopter of spherical equivalent using full-circle measurements of the three standard protocols. These effects varied between measurement sectors. Conclusions: RNFLT as measured by Stratus OCT standard protocols was significantly affected by age and refractive status. The effect on global RNFLT of a difference in refractive error of 10 diopters corresponded to the effect of a difference in age of 60 years. Theoretically, the effect of refractive status may be explained by artefacts of RNFLT measurement circle placement. The results suggest that the diagnostic accuracy of Stratus OCT may be improved by considering refractive status in addition to age when RNFLT is measured. For this purpose spherical equivalent seems as effective as axial length. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
optical coherence tomography, nerve fibre layer thickness, healthy, subjects, age, refractive error, lens, optic disc
in
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
volume
244
pages
1607 - 1614
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000242335500008
  • scopus:33751538525
ISSN
1435-702X
DOI
10.1007/s00417-006-0372-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ada92300-2259-4cb9-887c-4ca21539e15e (old id 158175)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16788824&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:33:52
date last changed
2022-03-07 06:48:26
@article{ada92300-2259-4cb9-887c-4ca21539e15e,
  abstract     = {{Background: The variation in retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) as measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT) in healthy subjects may be reduced when the effect on RNFLT measurements of factors other than disease is corrected for, and this may improve the diagnostic accuracy in glaucoma. With this perspective we evaluated the isolated and combined effects of factors potentially affecting the Stratus OCT RNFLT measurements in healthy subjects. Methods: We included 178 healthy eyes of 178 subjects between 20 and 80 years of age. Participants underwent an extensive eye examination. Stratus OCT RNFLT was measured by three standard protocols, two with high and one with standard image resolution. Effects on RNFLT of age, gender, refractive error, axial length, lens nuclear colour and opalescence, intra-ocular pressure (IOP), and optic disc size were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Age, refractive error, axial length, and lens nuclear colour and opalescence affected RNFLT in univariate analyses, whereas gender, IOP, and optic disc size had no significant effect. In multivariate analyses only age in combination with refractive error, or with axial length, was significant and explained 14.7-17.6% (R-2 stop) of the total variation of RNFLT, approximately 50% more than age alone. RNFLT decreased by 2.6-2.9 mu m per increasing decade of age and increased by 1.5-1.8 mu m per more positive diopter of spherical equivalent using full-circle measurements of the three standard protocols. These effects varied between measurement sectors. Conclusions: RNFLT as measured by Stratus OCT standard protocols was significantly affected by age and refractive status. The effect on global RNFLT of a difference in refractive error of 10 diopters corresponded to the effect of a difference in age of 60 years. Theoretically, the effect of refractive status may be explained by artefacts of RNFLT measurement circle placement. The results suggest that the diagnostic accuracy of Stratus OCT may be improved by considering refractive status in addition to age when RNFLT is measured. For this purpose spherical equivalent seems as effective as axial length.}},
  author       = {{Hougaard, Jesper and Ostenfeld, Carl and Heijl, Anders and Bengtsson, Boel}},
  issn         = {{1435-702X}},
  keywords     = {{optical coherence tomography; nerve fibre layer thickness; healthy; subjects; age; refractive error; lens; optic disc}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1607--1614}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology}},
  title        = {{Modelling the normal retinal nerve fibre layer thickness as measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography.}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4710019/625494.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00417-006-0372-9}},
  volume       = {{244}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}