In-Vivo Imaging of the Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer Thickness in Malay Moderate to High Juvenile-Onset Myopia

1. Shah Farez Othman^1,2,3
2. Sharanjeet - Kaur Malkeet Singh²
3. Faudziah Abd Manan²
4. Ahmad Iskandar Zulkarnain¹
5. Zainal Mohamad³
6. Azrin E Ariffin¹

¹Faculty of Optometry & Vision Sciences, SEGi University College, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
²Optometry Programme, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
³National Institute of Ophthalmic Science, Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in Malay juvenile-onset myopic group (JOM) with myopia severity ranging from moderate to high level against an age-matched control group.

Methods: Seventeen moderate to high JOM subjects (mean spherical equivalent refraction [SER] of -4.93±1.59 D) and 32 control subjects (mean SER of -0.06±0.28 D) ranging in age from 19 to 25 years old participated in this clinical cross-sectional study. Stratus Optical Coherence Tomography was used to measure the RNFL thickness at the following locations of the optic nerve head peripapillary area: At 4 quadrants ie inferior, superior, nasal and temporal, and at clock hour positions of 1 to 12. The average overall NFL thickness at the peripapillary was also recorded.

Results: No significant differences (p>0.05) were found in mean RNFL thicknesses measured.

Conclusion: This study concludes that Malay juvenile-onset myopes in the range of between -3.00 D and -8.00 D do not have any systematic alterations in the thickness of their peripapillary RNFL despite the expected thinning of the peripheral retina.