Relationship Between Central Corneal Thickness and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Glaucomatous Subject

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between central corneal thickness (CCT) and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) as determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in glaucomatous subjects. METHODS: One hundred eyes diagnosed with glaucoma and 99 glaucoma suspect (GS) eyes were tested by visual field (VF), OCT, and ultrasonic pachymetry. The relationship between CCT and RNFLT measurements was assessed by Pearson correlation analysis. A mixed effect model was employed to determine the relationship between CCT and RNFLT in glaucoma and GS groups. We divided the patients into two groups depending on the thickness of their corneas Thin ( or = 553.6 micrometer), and compared three parameters VF mean deviation (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD), and RNFLT between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant correlations between CCT and RNFLT in any participant (R2=0.00, p=0.88). There was no significant relationship between CCT and RNFLT in glaucoma and GS groups (p=0.11, p=0.46). There were no statistically significant differences in MD, PSD, or RNFLT between the thin and thick cornea groups (p=0.38, 0.32, 0.44). CONCLUSIONS: CCT is not significantly associated with RNFLT in glaucoma and GS subjects.