Original Article

Is normative database of Optical Coherence Tomography device comprise Turkish population?

  • İlker Eser
  • Barış Kömür
  • Arzu Taşkıran Çömez

Received Date: 01.09.2009 Accepted Date: 01.10.2009 Turk J Ophthalmol 2009;39(6):420-424

Purpose:

To compare the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness normative values measured by Optical Coherence Tomography(OCT) with healthy subjects.

Methods:

Thirty-nine randomized right or left eyes of 39 healthy subjects(18 female, 21 male), with a mean age of 25.1±3.0(19-29) years were included in the study. Subjects without family history of glaucoma and who were evaluated by intraocular pressure(IOP) measurements, central corneal thickness(CCT), cup/disc ratio and OCT measurement results, and who were accepted as not in risky group for glaucoma were included in the study. Three sequential measurements were taken by Spectral OCT/SLO [Opko/OTI, Inc., Miami, FL] analyzer, by the same operator in the same day, and mean of these 3 measurements was used for the analysis. One sample t-test was used for statistical analysis.

Results:

The mean values of the subjects and the normative RNFL thickness database used by the device were; 142.5±16.5μ and 134.4±17.0μ(p=0.004) in the superior quadrant, 97.4±11.5μ and 90.2±15.3μ (p=0.0001) in the nasal quadrant, 145.4±16.3μ and 136.75±16.0μ (p=0.002) in the inferior quadrant and 73.6±8.6μ and 74.3±13.0μ(p=0.659) in the temporal quadrant, respectively. There was 6.1-8% RNFL thickness difference between the values measured in the superior, nasal and inferior quadrants and the normative data used by the device; while compatibility of the values between temporal quadrants and normative data was obtained.

Conclusion:

The RNFL thickness in the superior, nasal and inferior quadrants were found to be statistically significant thicker in subjects included in the study. If the lower normative database used by the device were taken into account, errors in early diagnosis and the treatment of glaucoma would be inevitable. The initial data of our continuing study, reveal that the RNFL thickness values in healthy subjects of our population might not be plug-compatible with the normative database used by the device and this may result in a need to develop Turkish normative database.

Full Text (Turkish)