Changes in retinal layer thickness with maturation in the dog: an in vivo spectral domain - optical coherence tomography imaging study

Background: Retinal diseases are common in dogs. Some hereditary retinal dystrophies in dogs are important not only because they lead to vision loss but also because they show strong similarities to the orthologous human conditions. Advances in in vivo non-invasive retinal imaging allow the capture of retinal cross-section images that parallel low power microscopic examination of histological sections. Spectral domain - optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) allows the measurement of retinal layer thicknesses and gives the opportunity for repeat examination to investigate changes in thicknesses in health (such as changes with maturation and age) and disease (following the course of retinal degenerative conditions). The purpose of this study was to use SD-OCT to measure retinal layer thicknesses in the dog during retinal maturation and over the first year of life. SD-OCT was performed on normal beagle cross dogs from 4 weeks of age to 52 weeks of age. To assess changes in layer thickness with age, measurements were taken from fixed regions in each of the 4 quadrants and the area centralis (the region important for most detailed vision). Additionally, changes in retinal layer thickness along vertical and horizontal planes passing through the optic nerve head were assessed.

Results: In the four quadrants an initial thinning of retinal layers occurred over the first 12 to 15 weeks of life after which there was little change in thickness. However, in the area centralis there was a thickening of the photoreceptor layer over this time period which was mostly due to a lengthening of the photoreceptor inner/outer segment layer. The retina thinned with greater distances from the optic nerve head in both vertical and horizontal planes with the dorsal retina being thicker than the ventral retina. Most of the change in thickness with distance from the optic nerve head was due to difference in thickness of the inner retinal layers. The outer retinal layers remained more constant in thickness, particularly in the horizontal plane and dorsal to the optic nerve head.

Conclusions: These measurements will provide normative data for future studies.