Lamina Cribrosa Thickness in the Fellow Eyes of Patients with Unilateral Retinal Vein Occlusion

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare the lamina cribrosa thickness in fellow eyes of patients with unilateral retinal vein occlusion (RVO) with the normal control eyes and the type of RVO. METHODS: This study included 40 patients with unilateral RVO and 45 normal control subjects. We compared the lamina cribrosa thickness between the RVO eyes and the fellow eyes, the fellow eyes and the normal control eyes and the type of RVO eyes. We measured central lamina thickness using enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: In patients with unilateral RVO, central lamina cribrosa thickness was not significantly different between the RVO eyes (211.33 microm) and the fellow eyes (204.13 microm; p = 0.202). However, central lamina cribrosa thickness in the fellow eyes was significantly reduced compared with the normal control eyes (217.76 microm; p = 0.046). Central lamina cribrosa thickness in the fellow eyes according to the type of RVO was not statistically significantly different (p = 0.672). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the central lamina cribrosa thickness in the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral RVO was thinner than in normal patients. Therefore, the lamina cribrosa thickness may be associated with RVO as well as glaucoma.