Characteristics of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer atrophy in glaucoma, optic nerve sheath meningioma, and sphenoid wing meningioma

• Published in: Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology 2022-02, Vol.260 (2), p.577-581
• Main Authors: Tonagel, Felix, Wilhelm, Helmut, Kelbsch, Carina, Richter, Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atrophy; Brain cancer; Compression; Glaucoma; Glaucoma - pathology; Glaucoma, Open-Angle - diagnosis; Glaucoma, Open-Angle - pathology; Humans; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meningeal Neoplasms - complications; Meningeal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Meningioma; Meningioma - complications; Meningioma - diagnosis; Nerve Fibers - pathology; Neurophthalmology; Ophthalmology; Optic atrophy; Optic nerve; Optic Nerve - pathology; Retina; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Visual Fields
• ISSN: 0721-832X; 1435-702X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00417-021-05354-2

Background/objectives The correct classification of a slowly progressing optic atrophy can be challenging. The aim of this work was to find out if the characteristics of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness loss differ between open angle glaucoma (POAG), optic nerve sheath meningioma (ONSM), and sphenoid wing meningioma (SWM). Methods A total of 45 patients with POAG, ONSM, and SWM were included in the retrospective study. The peripapillary RNFL thickness measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography was analyzed using the Heidelberg Engineering glaucoma module © . Results Each group consisted of 15 patients. The temporal sector of the RNFL thickness showed a median decrease of − 17 µm in glaucoma patients (range + 6/–34 µm), − 43 µm in ONSM (range − 19/ − 52 µm), and − 44 µm in SWM patients (range − 25/ − 52 µm). The RNFL thickness of the temporal sector of glaucoma patients differed significantly from the other groups ( p