Low birth weight and prematurity are associated with thickening of the fovea, and decreased birth weight is associated with decreased RNFL thickness, as measured by OCT. These findings suggest that premature birth and low birth weight impair retinal development and may predispose these children to ocular problems later in life.

In this study, we report the degree of interocular symmetry of RNFL and macular parameters measured by Cirrus HD-OCT in healthy young adults.

Purpose To determine normative values and associations of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and optic disc parameters in normal eyes measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT).Methods In a population-based setting, 1521 young adults were examined as part of the Sydney Adolescent Vascular and Eye Study (SAVES). Their mean age was 17.3 ± 0.6 years. RNFL and optic disc parameter measurements were made using Cirrus HD-OCT 4000. Results The average RNFL was found to be 99.4±9.6 lm. RNFL thickness was least for the temporal quadrant (69.9±11.2 lm), followed by the nasal (74.3 ± 12.8 lm), superior (124.7 ± 15.7 lm) and inferior (128.8 ± 17.1 lm) quadrants. The mean disc area in this population was 1.98 ± 0.38 mm 2 with a mean rim area of 1.50 ± 0.30 mm 2 and a mean cup/disc ratio of 0.44±0.18. Multivariate-adjusted RNFL thickness was marginally greater in East Asian than in white participants (100.1 lm vs 99.5 lm; P ¼ 0.0005). The RNFL was thinner with greater axial length (Po0.0001), less positive spherical equivalent refractions (Po0.0001), smaller disc area and rim area (Po0.0001). Conclusion This study documents normative values for the RNFL and optic disc measured using Cirrus HD-OCT in young adults. The values and associations reported in this study can inform clinicians on the normal variation in RNFL and optic disc parameters.