Optical coherence tomography measurement of retinal nerve fiber layer after acute primary angle closure with normal visual field

PURPOSE: To detect retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness after a single acute primary angle closure (APAC) attack with normal visual field. DESIGN: Prospective, observational case study. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients who had a single unilateral APAC attack associated with normal visual fields at three months after remission and 28 single eyes from normal controls were enrolled. Duration of APAC attack was 5.9 +/- 2.7 hours. Comparisons of average RNFL thickness and RNFL thickness in four quadrants and in 12,o'clock-hour segments of the attacked eyes, unaffected fellow eyes, and normal controls were made using fast RNFL thickness (3-4) of Stratus optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Significant differences were demonstrated comparing the inferior-quadrant RNFL thicknesses for the attacked eyes with those of the normal controls (P = .02) and fellow eyes (P = .02) using one-way analysis of variance with Tukey's tests. CONCLUSIONS: Inferior region RNFL thickness was significantly decreased in the attacked eyes after an APAC episode associated with normal visual field.