Optical coherence tomograph of prelaminar tissue and its relationship with oculopathy

The prelaminar tissue locates anterior to the lamina cribrosa. The prelaminar tissue and lamina cribrosa tissue are both indispensable parts in the process of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. With the development of optical coherence tomography(OCT), these tissues become observable in vivo. The thickness of prelaminar tissue becomes thinner during intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and ischemia, and thicker after IOP reduction caused by glaucoma surgery. Explorement of the changes of the prelaminar tissue might be helpful to understand the pathogenesis of these diseases. Prelaminar tissue thickness can also provide clinical biomarker for monitoring glaucoma during patient follow-up. In addition, some investigators have found that the prelaminar tissue is related to ischemic optic neuropathy, diabetic optic neuropathy and retinitis pigmentosa. (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2017, 41: 8-13) Key words: prelaminar tissue; laminar cribrosa; glaucoma; ischemicoptic neuropathy; retinitis pigmentosa