Normal Central Foveal Thickness in a Thousand Eyes of Healthy Patients in Sub Saharan Africa Using Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

Background: Optical coherence tomography provides high resolution in vivo images of the retina which are essential for diagnosis and follow up of  patients with retina disorders like macula edema and exudative age-related macular degeneration. Establishing the normal range of central fovea values  in our population provides vital baseline data for comparison.

Aim: To report the range of normal central fovea thickness measurements in eyes of  healthy hospital patients in sub-Saharan Africa using a commercially available Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan.

Patients and  Methods: A retrospective non‑comparative review of case files of a thousand consecutive healthy patients who had retina OCT scans between January  2015 and December 2019 was done.

Results: Data from 1000 consecutive eyes of 500 healthy patients were used for the study. There were 181 females  and 319 males. The mean central foveal thickness was 239.48 microns (µm), with a minimum thickness of 200.0 µm and maximum thickness of 297.0 µm.  Males had significantly (P < 0.001) thicker mean CFT (mean CFT = 241.77 µm) compared with females (mean CFT = 235.43 µm). The mean CFT increased  with age of participants by 0.139 µm (P < 0.001) for every year of life below 70.

Conclusion: The mean central foveal thickness (CFT) in eyes of healthy  patients in our study was 239.48 µm with a range from 200 µm to 297.0 µm. Males had thicker mean CFT compared with females and there was a  significant increase in mean CFT by 0.139 µm (P < 0.001) for every year of life below 70.