Quantitative Analysis of Retinal Structures Using Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Normal Rabbits

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this study is to quantify the normal retinal thickness (RT) and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), and to obtain cross-sectional area measurements of the main retinal artery and vein in the rabbit animal model using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).Materials and methods: Fifteen eyes of 15 adult rabbits were used to obtain SD-OCT scans. RT, RNFLT and cross-sectional areas of the main retinal artery and vein were measured with a custom-made software grading tool (OCTOR) on selected B-scans at the edge of the optic nerve head and at 1, 2, 3 and 4 mm from the nerve. Statistical comparisons were made using the analysis of variance test with post hoc comparison.Results: In the nasal and temporal retina, the average RT and RNFLT decreased significantly with eccentricity from the optic disc. There was a statistically significant greater RT and RNFLT at the edge of the optic disc as compared with values at 1, 2, 3 and 4 mm from the disc edge (p < 0.01...