Characterization of the optical disc in the population of Cartagena, Colombia, by means of optical coherence tomography

Objective: To characterize the parameters of normality of the optic nerve head and the nerve fiber layer, in the healthy population that attends a reference ophthalmological clinic in the city of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.Method: 1013 subjects aged between 18 and 99 years were analyzed, a total of 2026 eyes, with the Optovue Avanti™ RTVUE XR equipment.Results: 372 subjects were men and 641 women, the most common race was mestizo, the average thickness of the nerve fiber layer in our population was 130 ± 8 μm, disc cup ratio 0.41 ± 0.1, disk area 2.31 ± 0.6 mm 2 and ganglion cell layer 100 ± 5 μm.Regarding the analysis of parameters by race, it was found that the size of the disc in the mestizo race presented a mean of 2.84 ± 7.8 mm 2 , greater in relation to the Afro-descendant race, where it was 2.37 ± 0.33 mm 2 .Conclusions: This study provides the first normative database in Colombia for the measurement of the ganglion cell complex and nerve fiber layer, which will serve as a guide for the creation of future protocols for the management and diagnosis of suspected glaucoma.Unlike previous reports in the literature, mestizo (Hispanic) patients have a larger size of the nerve head compared to Afro-descendant patients.