PubMed ID: 32051132
Author(s): Liu Y, Baniasadi N, Ratanawongphaibul K, Chen TC. Effect of partial posterior vitreous detachment on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography retinal nerve fibre layer thickness measurements. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020 Nov;104(11):1524-1527. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-314570. Epub 2020 Feb 12. PMID 32051132
Journal: The British Journal Of Ophthalmology, Volume 104, Issue 11, Nov 2020
BACKGROUND/AIMS To assess the effect of partial posterior vitreous detachment (pPVD) on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFL) measurements.
METHODS Spectral-domain OCT RNFL thickness measurements were obtained from 684 consecutive patients who were seen in the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Glaucoma Service. Of these patients, we compared RNFL thickness measurements between 101 eyes of 101 glaucoma suspects who met inclusion criteria (55 eyes with and 46 eyes without pPVD).
RESULTS Among all 684 patients, 253 (37%) had pPVD in at least one eye. Among a subset of 101 eyes of 101 glaucoma suspects, average RNFL thickness was greater in eyes with compared to eyes without pPVD (p=0.02). Measurements were significantly greater in the inferior (p=0.004) and superior quadrants (p=0.008), but not in the nasal (p=0.10) and temporal quadrants (p=0.25). The difference in average RNFL thickness remained significant (p=0.05) even when corrected for expected age-related decline in RNFL thickness.
CONCLUSION Over a third of patients were found on peripapillary spectral-domain OCT to have a pPVD, which was associated with greater RNFL thickness measurements. Judicious clinical interpretation of this finding on spectral-domain OCT RNFL thickness scans should be factored into the assessment of glaucoma suspects.
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