Retinal Evaluation by Optical Coherence Tomography in Adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

AbstractPurpose Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common sleep and breathing disorder characterized by repeated episodes of hypoxemia.OSAS is associated with persistent neurocognitive injury that may be reflected in structural changes in certain brain regions. The aim of this study is to determine the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, macular thickness and volume by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in adults with OSAS in order to detect axonal injury in this population.Methods Fourty‐nine eyes corresponding to 26 patients (mean age +/‐ SD: 50.8 +/‐ 12.7 years; range: 14‐75; female/male: 5/21) with newly discovered and previously untreated moderate to severe OSAS (apnea‐hypopnea index >15) were compared by OCT with a control group of twenty‐two eyes corresponding to 14 age‐matched healthy individuals (mean age +/‐ SD: 52.1 +/‐ 15.4 years; range: 14‐74; female/male: 7/7), measuring peripapillary RNFL thickness, macular thickness and volume, and optic nerve head (ONH) parameters.Results OSAS patients revealed a significantly lower RNFL thickness in the nasal part of the optic disc (74.6±13.5 µm, range: 47‐100) compared to controls (83.2±14.7 µm, range: 56‐107) (p=0.015). OSAS patients also showed a decreased macular thickness in the outer nasal ring (250.7±13.6 µm, range: 227‐280) compared to controls (265.5±4.9 µm, range: 265‐272) (p=0.05). Other OCT measurements did not show any differences.Conclusion OSAS was associated with a decreased peripapillary RNFL and macular thickness in the nasal quadrants. Therefore, it might be a biomarker of this disease.