Elsevier

Ophthalmology

Volume 96, Issue 9, September 1989, Pages 1325-1328
Ophthalmology

The Normal Human Optic Nerve: Axon Count and Axon Diameter Distribution+

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0161-6420(89)32718-7Get rights and content

Abstract

Computerized image analysis was used to determine the normal axonal count and axon diameter distribution in 12 normal human eyes. Mean axon count per nerve was 969,279 ± 239,740 and mean axon diameter was 0.72 ± 0.07 μm. Multiple linear regression disclosed 4909 axons lost yearly (P = 0.08). Statistical analysis did not show a relationship between axon diameter and age or time to fixation. The inferotemporal sector of the nerve had the highest fiber density (P = 0.02). The superonasal nerve had higher mean diameters (P = 0.02). This study may provide a baseline for future pathologic studies.

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    Citation Excerpt :

    “Optic nerve” represents the “nerve bundles” as shown in Fig. 1, which consists of many axons or “nerve fibers”. The human optic nerve fiber count is between 693,000 to 1,685,000 as recorded in Table 1 [1–7]. The nerve fiber count increases with the retrobulbar optic nerve cross sectional area [8].

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Supported by Medical Research Council grant MT-1578 and a grant from the Vancouver Foundation.

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