AIM: To observe the changes of macular ganglion cell complex(GCC)thickness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)and discuss the relativity between thickness of GCC and OSA.

METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with OSA whose Apnea-Hypopnea Index ≥5 and fifty healthy people whose Apnea-Hypopnea Index <5 were enrolled in this study. OSA patients were further divided into mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups according to their Apnea-Hypopnea Inde. RTVUE 100-2 optical coherence tomography was used to measure the GCC thickness. The examination included average thickness of GCC(GCC-Avg), superior(GCC-Sup)and inferior thickness of GCC(GCC-Inf), focal loss of volume(FLV)and general loss of volume(GLV). The difference in GCC thickness was analyzed among four groups.

RESULTS: The thickness of GCC of the OSA groups was thinner than that of the normal control group(P<0.05), and FLV in the OSA groups was higher than that in the normal control group(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in FLV between OSA groups(P>0.05). GLV increased in the OSA groups compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION:The macular GCC thickness decreased in OSA patients, and the thickness of GCC decreased with the increase of OSA patients' severity(AHI).