Vol. 3 Issue 2 Part A

Background: Myopia is considered a risk factor for open-angle glaucoma. This study aimed to assess the association of axial length and degree of myopia on RNFL thickness.

Material and Method: This cross-sectional study is conducted among 50 myopic patients aged between 18 to 60yrs attending ophthalmology OPD at a tertiary care hospital. The study was conducted after getting approval from institutional ethics committee and patients recruited after obtaining informed consent. The ocular examination of all the included patients was done using an auto refractometer, retinoscopy, ONH OCT for RNFL thickness measurement, fundus with IDO and 90D. The average RNFL thickness was recorded globally and separately for the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal quadrants.

Results: A total of 100 eyes were evaluated, mean age of the study population was 35.02±9.07 years with range of 21-54years. The mean of refraction errors in all the patients was -3.41±2.04D with a range of -1 to -20D and mean axial length was 24.11±1.10 with a range of 22.18 to 26.8mm. There is a significant decrease in the RNFL thickness in patients with increase in refractive error and the axial length. (p<0.001) We found a significant strong linear association of axial length and myopia with the RNFL thickness. (p<0.001)

Conclusion: The people with higher degrees of myopia and increased axial length had thinner RNFLs. A significant linear relation of the decrease in RNFL thickness with the severity of myopia and the axial length was found.