Spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography of optic nerve after closed eye injury

Purpose Purpose: to research optic nerve in the early period of closed eye injury by spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography. Methods 32 patients with closed eye injury and transparent eye media were examined. The age of the patients was 41.5 + 2.7 years. The examination was performed 4.01 + 0.37 days after the injury. Visual acuity of the injured eye was 0.65 + 0.06. After examination by automated static perimetry 8 patients were diagnosed with paracentral scotoma, 4 – with scotomas in Bjerrum zone, 7 – with peripheral scotomas, 2 – with central scotomas. In 11 cases no scotomas were registered. Spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT) of both injured and healthy eyes was performed at the optical coherence tomograph RTVue‐100 OCT (Optovue, Fremont,USA). Optic nerve heads (ONH) and retinal nerve fiber layers (RNFL) were examined with estimated diameter of 3.45 mm around disc center. Results Statistical analysis of morphometric parameters of ONH and RNFL based on SD‐OCT data showed that in the early period in comparison with the healthy eye the injured eye has ONH edema resulting in ONH volume increase (0.43 + 0.02 and 0.29 + 0.02 mm3; p = 0.008), rim volume increase (0.21 + 0.01 and 0.17 + 0.01 mm3; p = 0.03), rim area increase (1.64 + 0.05 and 1.25 + 0.04 mm2; p = 0.03), ONH area increase (2.12 + 0.07 and 1.89 + 0.06 mm2; p = 0.01), cup volume decrease (0.08 + 0.01 and 0.13 + 0.02 mm3; p = 0.04) and cup area decrease (0.48 + 0.06 and 0.63 + 0.07 mm2; p = 0.03). In addition to this RNFL thickness increase (111.12 + 2.04 and 106.75 + 1.59; p = 0.007) was noted. Conclusions We detected a significant increase in the volume of the optic nerve head and an increase in the thickness of the nerve fiber layer of the retina on all 32 eyes in the early period after a closed eye injury.