Abstract :
Context: Refractive errors in the young adults are prone to variation of peripapillary retinal nerve fibre
layer (RNFL) thickness.
Aims: To compare the peripapillary RNFL thickness in myopes and hyperopes with emmetropes by optical
coherence tomography (OCT).
Settings and Design: A case control cross-sectional study conducted from January-June 2019 among 18-
40 years, attending ophthalmology outpatient department of a tertiary care centre.
Materials and Methods: Young adults (18-30 years), with or without refractive errors, underwent anterior
and posterior segment examination, intraocular pressure, axial length and subjective refraction and OCT
examination for RNFL thickness. SPSS 20.0 software was used and frequency, percentages were calculated
for qualitative variables like gender and ethnicity, and were compared by chi square test. One-way analysis
of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the variables among the three groups. P statistically significant.
Results: Of 90 cases, 36(40%) myopes, 24(26.66%) hyperopes and 30(33.33%) emmetropes, with mean
RNFL thickness in myopes-90.86 /- 10.50microns, in hyperopes-116 /- 3.6mm and emmetropes-120
/- 4.3mm.Mean RNFL is thinner in myopes than in emmetropes with superior and inferior quadrants
thinning with no mean RNFL thickness changes in hyperopes when compared to emmetropes. Mean RNFL
thickness is inversely related to axial length in myopes with no variation in hyperopes.
Conclusions: RNFL thickness changes in myopes can be a risk factor for glaucoma, hence to be included
in routine examination.
Keyword :
Myopes, OCT, RNFL thickness, Refractive errors.