Effect of refractive status on peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness: a study by RTVue spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Aim To evaluate the influence of axial length on retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness in myopic, hyperopic and emmetropic eyes by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods Subjects were divided into three groups: myopic (n=35), emmetropic (n=30) and hyperopic eyes (n=33). RNFL thickness was obtained from all octametric section parameters by RTVue OCT. Axial length and spherical equivalent values were determined for all patients. Results RNFL thickness values, except for lower and upper nasal sectors, were thinner in the myopic eyes than in the hyperopic eyes. Average RNFL thickness and the RNFL thicknesses of the superotemporal, superonasal, inferotemporal and lower temporal sectors were significantly different between the myopic and emmetropic eyes, and average RNFL thickness and the RNFL thicknesses of the upper temporal and inferonasal sectors were significantly different between the hyperopic and emmetropic eyes. The average peripapillary RNFL thickness had a negative correlation with axial length (r=−0.741, p