Asymmetry of retinal physiological measurements in young adults measured with optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Introduction: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a useful technique to assess the retina. In this study, we explored the physiological inter-ocular asymmetry of several retinal parameters in a sample of young Caucasian adults. Methods: A transversal study was designed in which the macular exploration protocol of the 3D-OCT-2000 was employed to evaluate several retinal parameters in a sample of 37 young adults aged between 12 and 23 years (spherical equivalent from -3.00 to +4.00 D). Normal inter-ocular asymmetry values were determined and compared with previous published tolerance values. Results: Statically significant differences were found between males and females in mean thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in the right eye. In addition, Inter-ocular statistically significant differences were uncovered in mean and superior RNFL thickness, as well as in central macular thickness (all p<0.05). Mean RNFL thickness for the left eye was higher than for the right eye by 1.70 μm. Conclusions: The exploration of the normal asymmetries of the retina may be an effective approach for an early detection of pathologies of the retina such as glaucoma. Differences in instrumentation and sample characteristics do not allow for a direct comparison between the present findings and previous research