The assessment of optical coherence tomographic parameters in subjects with a positive family history of glaucoma.

PURPOSE: The aim was to compare the optical coherence tomographic (OCT) parameters of subjects with and without a family history of glaucoma to determine whether positive family history has an impact on retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell complex analyses.

METHODS: Forty eyes of 40 normal subjects with a proven positive family history (first-degree relatives) for primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) (study group) and age-matched 40 eyes of 40 control subjects without a family history for glaucoma (control group) were enrolled. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and macular ganglion cell complex thickness were measured with spectral domain OCT and results were compared between both groups.

RESULTS: In the study group, retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in all quadrants except the superior quadrant was a statistically significant decrease when compared to the control group (p = 0.707 for the superior quadrant, p < 0.05 for other retinal nerve fibre layer parameters; analysis of variance [ANOVA]). Furthermore, ganglion cell complex in all quadrants except the inferotemporal quadrant was a statistically significantly thinner in the study group, when compared with the controls (p = 0.196 for the inferotemporal quadrant, p < 0.05 for ganglion cell complex parameters; ANOVA).

CONCLUSIONS: In individuals who have a history of POAG in their first-degree relatives, OCT parameters including retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell complex are significantly lower than the subjects without a family history. Retinal nerve fibre layer and ganglion cell complex thinning were detected in normal-looking discs. The importance of these findings remains uncertain. Prospective, controlled clinical trials with longer follow up are necessary to understand, whether or not those changes are an early indicator of glaucoma.