Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Myelinated Retinal Nerve Fibers in a Healthy Population: A Big-data Analysis

Objective: To analyze the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and related factors of myelinated retinal nerve fibers (MRNFs) in a community-based cohort. Methods: From March 2017 to June 2020, a total of 10,341 adults undergoing health examinations at Beijing Tongren Hospital received comprehensive systemic and basic eye examinations. Diagnosis of MRNFs was conducted using fundus photography. Results: Excluding 97 blurred fundus photographs, the final population was 10,244 participants. The average age was 49.5±14.8 years, with 6,225 females (60.8%). 66 patients were diagnosed with MRNFs, showing a prevalence of 0.6±0.3%. In the 73 affected eyes of 66 patients, a total of 86 MRNFs lesions were found, with 64 eyes (87.7%) having a single lesion and 9 eyes (12.3%) having multiple lesions. A significant positive correlation was observed between the prevalence of MRNFs and elevated systolic blood pressure ( P =0.025, OR: 1.014). Two eyes had extensive MRNFs connected to the optic disc, but not involving the macular fovea. The visual acuity of the affected eyes was 1.0. Conclusions: In community-based study in healthy Chinese population, MRNFs were found in 0.6% of cases. They were linked to increased systolic blood pressure. Extensive MRNFs can work for normal visual function while they uncover the macular fovea.