Morphometric parameters of the optic disc and peripapillary retina in children in cases of congenital pathology

Purpose: to study the nature of changes in morphological parameters of the children’s optic disc and peripapillary retina in cases of congenital pathology.
Material and methods. 45 children aged 5–17 (the median age was 9.5 years) with congenital pathology of the optic disc (optic disc drusen — 15 eyes, myelinated nerve fibers — 10, optic disc coloboma — 10 and hypoplasia — 10 eyes) were tested for morphological parameters of the optic disc — the disc area, the area and volume of the neuroretinal rim and the thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) — using optical coherence tomography (OCT, SOCT Copernicus HR). The control group included 15 healthy children (15 eyes) of the same age group.
Results. The analysis of the mean values of morphometric parameters of the optic disc and peripapillary retina revealed statistically significant changes of morphometric indicators of the optic disc compared to the norm and their specificity for each type of congenital pathology were identified. Children with optic disc drusen showed an increased optic disc area, increased area and volume of the neuroretinal rim, and thicker RNFL. In cases of myelinated nerve fibers, the area of the optic disc and the area and volume of the neuroretinal rim were increased, too: however, the increased thickness of RNFL was observed in only half of the cases. All children with optic disc coloboma showed a reliable increase of optic disc area, reliable drop in neuroretinal rim area and volume, and statistically insignificant increase of RNFL thickness.
Conclusion. Morphometric features of the optic disc revealed for individual pathologies (myelinated fibers, drusen, coloboma, hypoplasia) revealed by OCT allow one to predict the development of clinical and functional disturbances in children with congenital optic nerve abnormalities.

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