To quantify retinal thickness in patients with Parkinson disease (PD).Methods: Forty-five eyes of 24 PD patients and 31 eyes of 17 control subjects underwent a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination. We used optical coherence tomography to examine retinal thickness, separately quantifying the inner and outer retinal layers. Intraocular pressure was measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry. Results:The mean (SD) ages of the patients with PD and healthy subjects were 64.0(6.5) years vs 63.5(10.7) years (P=.77). The mean (SD) intraocular pressure was 13.6 (ϩ/−2.7) mm Hg in the PD patients. No difference was found in either the superior or inferior outer retinal layer thickness of PD vs control eyes. The mean (SD) superior inner retinal layer thickness of PD vs control eyes was 88.79 (11.3) µm vs 103.5 (24.3) µm (P=.01), and the mean inferior inner retinal layer thickness was 89.83 (11.1) µm vs 104.0 (23.5) µm (P=.01). Conclusions:The inner retinal layer is significantly thinner in PD patients than in healthy subjects. Idiopathic PD, distinct from glaucoma, needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of retinal nerve fiber layer thinning.

To quantify the thickness of the inner retinal layers in the foveal pit where the nerve fiber layer (NFL) is absent, and quantify changes in the ganglion cells and inner plexiform layer. Pixel-by-pixel volumetric measurements were obtained via Spectral-Domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) from 50 eyes of Parkinson disease (PD) (n = 30) and 50 eyes of healthy control subjects (n = 27). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were used to classify individual subjects with respect to sensitivity and specificity calculations at each perifoveolar distance. Three-dimensional topographic maps of the healthy and PD foveal pit were created. The foveal pit is thinner and broader in PD. The difference becomes evident in an annular zone between 0.5 and 2 mm from the foveola and the optimal (ROC-defined) zone is from 0.75 to 1.5 mm. This zone is nearly devoid of NFL and partially overlaps the foveal avascular zone. About 78 % of PD eyes can be discriminated from HC eyes based on this zone. ROC applied to OCT pixel-by-pixel analysis helps to discriminate PD from HC retinae. Remodeling of the foveal architecture is significant because it may provide a visible and quantifiable signature of PD. The specific location of remodeling in the fovea raises a novel concept for exploring the mechanism of oxidative stress on retinal neurons in PD. OCT is a promising quantitative tool in PD research. However, larger scale studies are needed before the method can be applied to clinical follow-ups.

Purpose. To quantify interocular asymmetry (IA) of foveal thickness in Parkinson disease (PD) versus that of controls. Design. Prospective case-control series. Methods. In vivo assessment of foveal thickness of 46 eyes of 23 PD patients and 36 eyes of 18 control subjects was studied using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Inner versus outer layer retinal segmentation and macular volumes were quantified using the manufacturer's software, while foveal thickness was measured using the raw data from each eye in a grid covering a 6 by 6 mm area centered on the foveola in 0.25 mm steps. Thickness data were entered into MATLAB software. Results. Macular volumes differed significantly at the largest (Zone 3) diameter centered on the foveola (ETDRS protocol). By segmenting inner from outer layers, we found that the IA in PD is mostly due to changes on the slope of the foveal pit at the radial distances of 0.5 and 0.75 mm (1.5 mm and 1 mm diameter). Conclusions. About half of the PD patients had IA of the slope of the foveal pit. IA is a potentially useful marker of PD and is expected to be comparable across different SD-OCT equipment. Data of larger groups may be developed in future multicenter studies.