Quantitative analysis of the optic nerve head parameters in patients with age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Background/aim: To evaluate the topographic parameters of the optic disc of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)by performing confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.Materials and methods: This prospective study included 41 eyes of 41 patients with neovascular AMD, 56 eyes of 56 patients withnonneovascular AMD, and 48 eyes of 48 healthy control subjects. Images of the optic nerve head of all of the participants were obtainedusing Heidelberg retinal tomography III software 3.1. The following stereometric parameters were measured for each participant: discarea, cup area, rim area, cup volume, rim volume, cup-to-disc ratio, mean cup depth, maximum cup depth, cup shape, and mean retinalnerve fiber layer thickness.Results: The cup shape values of the patients with neovascular and nonneovascular AMD were significantly different from those of thecontrol subjects (P = 0.002 and P 0.05). No significant differences were observed among the 3 groups with respect to the other optic discparameters (P > 0.05).Conclusion: These data showed that the deterioration of the cup shape was an important finding in patients with AMD. Because AMDmanifests with progressive ocular damage, including the optic nerve head, examination of the cup shape may be important during thefollow-up of these patients.