To measure retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) volume in normal children using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

This study included 79 eyes of 54 normal children between 4 and 15 years of age evaluated from February 2012 to November 2012. All participants underwent ocular examination and 3D-disc scanning using SD-OCT. RNFL volume was calculated between 2.5 and 5 mm diameter circles using the length, width, and height of each pixel derived from the RNFL thickness map with Matlab software. The relationship between RNFL volume and thickness was analyzed.

The RNFL volumes of the mean total, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal areas were 1.48 ± 0.09 mm³, 0.45 ± 0.04 mm³, 0.29 ± 0.04 mm³, 0.46 ± 0.03 mm³, and 0.29 ± 0.04 mm³, respectively. Comparing RNFL volume and conventional circumpapillary RNFL thickness measured using built-in software, a strong correlation between mean total, superior, and inferior areas ( R = 0.980, 0.953 and 0.932, respectively) and a moderate correlation between the nasal and temporal areas were observed ( R = 0.545 and 0.514, respectively). The negative correlations between RNFL thickness and RNFL volumes of the mean total, superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal areas and age were not significant ( p > 0.05).

This study reports RNFL volume measured from RNFL thickness map analysis in normal children. These data regarding RNFL volume of normal children may provide useful information for diagnosis and monitoring of pediatric glaucoma.