Changes of Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Childhood Glaucoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness has been detected by numerous studies about alterations and abnormalities in childhood glaucoma, but these studies have yielded inconsistent results about the RNFL thinning region. The investigation of characteristics of RNFL in pediatric patients would contribute to the deep understanding of the neuropathic mechanisms of childhood glaucoma. Thus, the degree of thinning in different quadrants deserves further discussion and exploration. Method: A systematic literature search was conducted using the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Embase, and PubMed databases to identify clinical studies published from inception to April 1, 2021. Results: Ten studies were included in this review with a total of 311 children with glaucoma and 444 in nonglaucomatous controls. The results revealed that average peripapillary RNFL (pRNFL) thickness was attenuated in pediatric patients with glaucoma [weighted mean difference (WMD) = −20.75; 95% CI −27.49 to −14.01; p < 0.00001]. Additionally, pRNFL thickness in eight quadrants (superior, inferior, temporal, nasal, superotemporal, inferotemporal, superonasal, and inferonasal) had different levels of reduction in the pediatric group of glaucoma. Conclusion: This study indicates that eight regions of RNFL thickness show various degrees of thinning in childhood glaucoma. However, caution is required in the interpretation of results due to marked heterogeneity. Future studies, especially larger samples and multicenter, need to confirm our results.