J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2010 Jan;51(1):63-69.

Correlation Between Central Corneal Thickness and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Normal Tension Glaucoma

• Hwang JH
• Kim JS
• Lee JH

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the correlation between central corneal thickness (CCT) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in the eyes of patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) at the initial examination and to examine the difference in the degrees of damage of RNFL thickness depending on the CCT.
METHODS
Fifty-one eyes of 36 patients with NTG were included in the study, and 51 eyes of 30 people without the disease were used as a control group. CCT and peripapillary RNFL thickness were measured in each eye by ultrasonic pachymetry and optical coherence tomography(OCT), respectively. Patients from the normal NTG group who underwent OCT more than three times inthree years were identically assigned to two groups based on CCT: thin (< 553.6 micrometer) and thick (> or = 553.6 micrometer). Thus, a comparison of the changes in the thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer was performed between the two groups.
RESULTS
Patients with NTG showed a significant positive correlation between CCT and the mean peripapillary RNFL thickness at the initial examination (R=0.68, p<0.01). There were no significant differences in the changes in thickness of RNFL between the groups based on CCT (p>0.05)
CONCLUSIONS
At the time of initial diagnosis of NTG, there was a significant correlation between the thickness of CCT and RNFL. Howeverthere was no significant correlation between the thickness of CCT and the progression of the damage of RNFL.

Keyword

Central corneal thickness; Normal tension glaucoma; Optical coherence tomography; Retinal nerve fiber layer

MeSH Terms

Eye
Humans
Low Tension Glaucoma
Nerve Fibers
Retinaldehyde
Tomography, Optical Coherence
Ultrasonics
Retinaldehyde

Figure

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  Figure 1. Correlation between central corneal thickness and average peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknessin normal group (Pearson correlation coefficient=-0.26, p=0.07).

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  Figure 2. Correlation between central corneal thickness and average peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in normal tension glaucoma group (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.68, p<0.01).

Reference

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