Nerve fiber layer thickness in exudative age-related macular degeneration in Japanese patients

Purpose To examine the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber (RNFL) thickness in Japanese patients with two major forms of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), i.e., typical AMD and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Methods This is a prospective observational consecutive study. One hundred patients diagnosed with unilateral exudative AMD, with the fellow eyes free of exudative change, were included. Peripapillary RNFL thickness was measured using three-dimensional Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (3D-OCT). Peripapillary RNFL thickness was compared between the affected eyes and fellow eyes in 100 patients. Results RNFL thickness in the eyes with exudative AMD did not differ significantly from the fellow eyes. There was also no association between the lesion size and the peripapillary RNFL thickness. Conclusion There is no relationship between exudative AMD and peripapillary RNFL thickness in Japanese patients.