A retrospective observational study on changes in macular thickness with age in normal population using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the changes in macular thickness with age, by SD-OCT and to estimate the inner and outer retinal layer thickness of outer and inner macula based on different zones and to assess their relationship with age. Methods: A retrospective observational study of 50 subjects with age ranging from 21 to 60 years was studied with SD-OCT (10 mm scan). The study was done in the month of April 2021 at Department of Ophthalmology, Sree Gokulam Medical College and Research Foundation. Results: Total macular thickness ranged from 180 to 225 micrometer with no significant change with age. It was found that the thickness of inner retinal layer showed a significant decrease with age in 72% of subjects (p<0.05) and changes in outer layer was not significant. The inner retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in all quadrants was more than outer retinal layer thickness. The nerve fibre layer thickness of outer macula was more than the inner macula followed by the fovea. The RNFL was thickest at the inferior quadrant and thinnest at the temporal quadrants, followed by the nasal quadrant and the superior quadrant. Conclusions: The total macular layer thickness didn’t show any significant change with age. It was found that the inner retinal layer thickness showed a significant decrease with age but outer retinal layer didn’t. This information can be used for clinical studies evaluating the association between macular thickness and various retinal diseases.