Multicenter Spanish study of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in normal children

. Purpose: To compile a multicenter normative database of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and macular thicknesses and macular volume values in healthy Caucasian children 417 years using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). To analyse variations in the OCT measurements as a function of age, sex, refraction, and axial length (AL). Methods: An observational, multicenter and cross-sectional study among 301 healthy Caucasian children recruited at three Spanish centres was performed. To compile the database, each child underwent a dilated eye examination and a cycloplegic refraction, five AL measurements (IOL Master; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA), five OCT scans with Cirrus OCT: three peripapillary RNFL scans (Optic Disc Cube 200X200 protocol) and two macular scans (Macular Cube 512X128 protocol). One eye of each subject was selected randomly for analysis. Results: Two hundred eighty-three children (117 boys, 41.34%; 166 girls, 58.66%) were included in this study. The mean age of the children was 9.58 +/- 3.12 years (range, 417). The mean SE was +0.63 +/- 1.65 D; (range, -4.88 to +5.25). The mean AL was 22.94 +/- 1.10 mm (range, 20.1026.27). The mean global RNFL thickness was 97.40 +/- 9.0 mu m (range, 77121.7 mu m). Multivariate analysis showed a positive correlation between the RNFL and spherical equivalent (SE) (p = 0.014). The mean central macular thickness was 253.85 +/- 19.76 mu m, the average thickness 283.62 +/- 14.08 mu m, and the mean macular volume 10.22 +/- 0.49 mu m3. Multivariate analysis showed a positive correlation between central macular thickness and age (p < 0.001). Boys had a significantly thicker central macula than girls (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Normative paediatric SD-OCT data might facilitate use of SD-OCT for assessing childhood ophthalmic diseases. This study provides a multicenter paediatric normative database of SD-OCT peripapillary RNFL and macular data.