OCT assessment of morphological changes of the optic nerve head and macula in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Objective: To assess the morphologic changes of the optic nerve head and macula in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) with optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Data was extracted from the medical records and Stratus OCT images of IIH patients. Results: Ninety-one eyes of 48 IIH patients were divided into 3 groups according to their clinical optic disc appearance. Average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was statistically different between the groups: normal optic disc/mild elevation group (N=20)-89 mu m(95% CI, 80-98 mu m), mild elevation group (N=51) - 109 mu m (95% Cl. 101-117 mu m), and papilledema group (N=20) 124 mu m (95% CI, 100-153 mu m) (P=0.004). Fast macular thickness map did not demonstrate a significant difference between the groups for most measured macular areas (N = 49 eyes). Conclusions: Peripapillary RNFL measurements correlated with the clinical appearance of the optic discs, suggesting that OCT may assist in the follow up of patients. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.