Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness is decreased in the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral retinal vein occlusion

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness is decreased in the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Design: Observational cross-sectional study.

Participants: Seventy-nine patients with unilateral RVO and 71 age-matched control subjects.

Methods: Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-measured RNFL thickness parameters (average, 4 quadrant, and 12 clock-hour thicknesses) were compared between unaffected eyes of patients with unilateral RVO and single randomly selected eyes of control subjects.

Main outcome measures: Optical coherence tomography-measured RNFL thickness.

Results: In the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral RVO, the mean intraocular pressure was 13.7±2.5 mmHg and the RNFL thickness was significantly thinner than in controls in the 10 and 11 o'clock sectors. In a subgroup analysis, which only included subjects aged more than 60 years, the global average and 7 and 11 o'clock sector thicknesses were significantly thinner than in controls. Glaucomatous visual field damage corresponding to RNFL defects was found in 15 unaffected eyes (19.0%) of subjects with RVO and 2 control subjects (2.8%) (P = 0.004).

Conclusions: In the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral RVO, RNFL thickness was decreased, especially in the inferior- and superior-temporal sectors, compared with that of control eyes. Difference between the groups also was noticeable on the visual field testing. These results suggest that RVO and glaucoma may share systemic risk factors reflecting a common pathogenic mechanism.