Megalopapilla in children: a spectral domain optical coherence tomography analysis

A Cohort Study to Evaluate the Evolution of the Optic Nerve Head Parameters and Inner Retinal Thickness During Childhood

PURPOSE

To compare children's stereometric optic disc parameters and inner retinal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in two different moments in life in the same children and to establish a correlation between the optic nerve head (ONH) area and the difference of these parameters in the two observations.

METHODS

In this observational cohort, children were evaluated on two occasions: at 6.7 ± 1.6 and 13.2 ± 0.7 years of age. Cup volume, neuroretinal rim (NRR) area, average cup-to-disc ratio, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) were measured by the Cirrus HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG).

RESULTS

A total of 175 children were included, 89 boys (50.9%) and 86 girls (49.1%). There was a significant decrease of the NRR area (P < .001) and increase of the cup volume (P < .001) on the second observation. The pRNFL thickness and GCIPL thickness also decreased (P < .001 and P = .002, respectively). There was a positive correlation between the ONH area and the difference of the cup volume (P = .047; r = 0.102) and a negative correlation with the difference of the NRR area (P < .001; r = 0.237).

CONCLUSIONS

During childhood, there is an increase of the cup volume, a decrease of the NRR area, and a decrease of inner retinal layer thickness (more significant in the superior and inferior quadrants) measured by OCT. This study demonstrates that in children with large discs the enlargement of the cup and decrease of the NRR is more evident. Considering these changes, the physiological enlargement of the cup in a child with a large disc can be misinterpreted as the development of a glaucomatous lesion. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 20XX;X(X):XXX-XXX.].

Juvenile-onset open-angle glaucoma - A clinical and genetic update

Juvenile-onset open-angle glaucoma (JOAG) is a subset of primary open-angle glaucoma that is diagnosed before 40 years of age. The disease may be familial or non-familial, with proportions varying among different populations. Myocilin mutations are the most commonly associated. JOAG is characterized by high intraocular pressures (IOP), with many patients needing surgery. The mean age at diagnosis is in the 3^rd decade, with a male preponderance. Myopia is a common association. The pathophysiology underlying the disease is immaturity of the conventional outflow pathways, which may or may not be observed on gonioscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography. The unique optic nerve head features include large discs with deep, steep cupping associated with high IOP-induced damage. Progression rates among JOAG patients are comparable to adult primary glaucomas, but as the disease affects younger patients, the projected disability from this disease is higher. Early diagnosis, prompt management, and life-long monitoring play an important role in preventing disease progression. Gene-based therapies currently under investigation offer future hope.

Long term change of the optic disc and OCT parameters during myopic shift in children with large cup to disc ratio

Purpose

This observational case series was to determine long term optic disc changes in eyes with large cup to disc ratio (CDR) and compare the changes induced by myopic shift during childhood with normal control eyes.

Methods

Children under 15 years of age who developed myopia with serial optic disc photographs and spectral domain (SD)-optical coherence tomography (OCT) images with a minimal interval of three years were evaluated. Children with average CDR ≥ 0.6 on SD-OCT were classified as having large CDR. The ratios of vertical disc diameter (VDD), horizontal disc diameter (HDD), and maximum peripapillary atrophy (PPA) width (PPW) were measured to quantify morphologic changes of optic discs and SD-OCT parameters, such as peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness were measured.

Results

Of the 82 eyes (82 patients) analyzed, 42 eyes had large CDR and 40 eyes were normal controls. The mean age and refractive error at initial examination were not different between groups (P = 0.33, P = 0.76, respectively). The changes in HDD/VDD and PPW/VDD ratios during follow-up showed no significant difference among the groups (P = 0.45, P = 0.62, respectively). No statistical significance was found in changes in RNFL and GCIPL thickness between the two groups (P = 0.74, P = 0.79, respectively).

Conclusions

Children with enlarged CDR showed changes in optic disc morphology and RNFL/GCIPL thickness similar to normal children during myopic shift.

Differences of megalopapilla and normal sized disk with age-an optical coherence tomography analysis

PURPOSE

To compare the optic disks of children and adults with megalopapilla using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We conducted a case-control study of subjects with megalopapilla and normal sized disks seen between February 2013 and July 2015 at the Hospital da Luz, Lisbon. All subjects and controls were imaged with spectral domain OCT, and optic nerve head (ONH) parameters were evaluated. The main outcome measures were rim area, cup:disk ratio, and cup volume.

RESULTS

A total of 168 eyes of 168 subjects were included: 78 with megalopapilla (39 children/39 adults) and 90 (45/45) with normal sized disks. For the same ONH area, children had a higher rim area (P = 0.000), a smaller cup:disk ratio (P = 0.001), and a smaller cup volume (P = 0.001) than adults. For the same age group, megalopapilla had a larger cup:disk ratio (P = 0.000) and a larger cup volume (P = 0.000) than normal-sized disks.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study cohort, compared to adults with the same disk size, children (with megalopapilla or normal-sized disks) had a larger rim area and smaller cup. These findings suggest that enlargement of the cup of the optic disk and reduction of the rim area can occur through life.

Optical coherence tomography analysis of the inner retinal layers in children

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine a correlation between the optic nerve head (ONH) area, the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL), and the ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thicknesses, measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in children.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of 358 eyes in 358 children, 187 belonging to males (52.2%), having a mean age of 6.41 ± 1.66 years and spherical equivalent 0.22 ± 0.50 D. All subjects were imaged with Cirrus HD-OCT. ONH parameters, pRNFL, and macula thicknesses maps for each subject were obtained.

RESULTS

Average pRNFL thickness was 100.19 ± 10.10 μm and average GCIPL thickness was 85.29 ± 5.54 μm. Thirty-eight eyes (10.6%) had megalopapilla. A positive correlation was found between pRNFL thickness and the ONH area, GCIPL thickness and the ONH area, and pRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses.

CONCLUSIONS

In children, a positive correlation was found between pRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses and the ONH area. As the ONH area increases, the pRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses measured by OCT increase, supporting the histological observations that large discs have a higher number of ganglion cells. Consequently, the fixed diameter of the OCT scan does not influence these measurements. We suggest that a future normative database of OCT measurements adapted to children adjust the pRNFL and GCIPL thicknesses with the ONH area.

The effect of parental factors in children with large cup-to-disc ratios

BACKGROUND

To investigate large cup-to-disc ratios (CDR) in children and to determine the relationship between parental CDR and clinical characteristics associated with glaucoma.

METHODS

Two hundred thirty six children aged 6 to 12 years with CDR ≥ 0.6 were enrolled in this study. Subjects were classified into two groups based on parental CDR: disc suspect children with disc suspect (CDR ≥0.6) parents and disc suspect children without disc suspect parents. Ocular variables were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Of the 236 disc suspect children, 100 (42.4%) had at least one disc suspect parent. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was higher in disc suspect children with disc suspect parents (16.52±2.66 mmHg) than in disc suspect children without disc suspect parents (14.38±2.30 mmHg, p = 0.023). In the group with disc suspect parents, vertical CDR significantly correlated with IOP (R = -0.325, p = 0.001), average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (R = -0.319, p = 0.001), rim area (R = -0.740, p = 0.001), and cup volume (R = 0.499, p = 0.001). However, spherical equivalent (R = 0.333, p = 0.001), AL (R = -0.223, p = 0.009), and disc area (R = 0.325, p = 0.001) significantly correlated with vertical CDR in disc suspect children without disc suspect parents, in contrast to those with disc suspect parents. Larger vertical CDR was associated with the presence of disc suspect parents (p = 0.001), larger disc area (p = 0.001), thinner rim area (p = 0.001), larger average CDR (p = 0.001), and larger cup volume (p = 0.021).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Family history of large CDR was a significant factor associated with large vertical CDR in children. In children with disc suspect parents, there were significant correlations between IOP and average RNFL thickness and vertical CDR.

Nasalised distribution of peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layers in large discs

BACKGROUND

To describe the distribution pattern of the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and major retinal vessel positions in patients with a large disc.

METHODS

The medical records of patients with a large disc and those of normal controls were reviewed retrospectively. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations including Cirrus HD-optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Heidelberg Retinal Tomography III (HRT III) were performed. We divided patients into two groups (large disc group and control group) using an HRT-measured disc size of 2.5 mm² as a reference point. We extracted RNFL thicknesses at 256 points with OCT, measured major retinal vessel positions and compared them between the two groups.

RESULTS

In total, 97 eyes of 97 patients were included, with 60 patients in the large disc group and 37 patients in the control group. All patients were free of any glaucomatous change. We observed nasal shifting of the second superior and inferior peaks in the large disc group compared with the controls. The superior major temporal retinal arteries in patients with large disc also showed significant nasal displacement.

CONCLUSIONS

We could observe nasalisation of the peripapillary RNFL and superior retinal artery in patients with a large disc. As this phenomenon may lead to false positive results in OCT-based RNFL thickness maps, results from our study may help prevent misdiagnosis of glaucoma and improve the sensitivity and specificity of glaucoma detection.

Clinical Usefulness of Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Glaucoma and NAION

The development of optical coherence tomography (OCT) has changed the clinical management of ophthalmic diseases by furthering the understanding of pathogenesis, as well as improving the monitoring of their progression and assisting in quantifying the response to treatment modalities in ophthalmic diseases. Initially, the two-dimensional configuration of the optic nerve head (ONH) and the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were the main OCT structural parameters used in clinical management of optic nerve diseases. Now, with higher resolution power and faster acquisition times, the details of ONH and the retina including the macular area can be measured using spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) with high reproducibility and increased diagnostic ability. OCT can provide structural information to improve the understanding and management of optic nerve diseases. In this review, we will briefly summarize the clinical applications of SD-OCT in glaucoma and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, which are two representative optic nerve diseases.