RNFL Color Map Terminology
When yellow indicates "borderline," red means "outside normal limits/abnormal," green means "within normal limits/normal," and white means "insufficient data/not applicable." 1, 2
Standard Color Coding System
The color-coded classification system for RNFL thickness measurements follows a consistent pattern across ophthalmologic imaging:
- Green: Within normal limits - measurements fall within the normative database range for healthy eyes
- Yellow: Borderline - measurements at the threshold between normal and abnormal, requiring clinical correlation
- Red: Outside normal limits/abnormal - measurements fall below the normative range, suggesting pathology
- White: Not considered/insufficient data - areas where measurement was not obtained or not applicable
This color scheme is explicitly described in guideline documents for recommendation strength 1 and has been adopted for OCT-based RNFL analysis in glaucoma evaluation 3.
Clinical Context and Interpretation Caveats
Critical consideration: These color classifications are based on normative databases that may not account for individual anatomic variations. Results must be interpreted within the full clinical context 3.
- In myopic eyes, up to 66% of highly myopic patients (>-6.00 D) show borderline or abnormal RNFL classifications despite having no glaucoma 4
- The color coding reflects statistical probability, not definitive diagnosis
- Red/abnormal findings require confirmation with clinical examination, visual field testing, and serial monitoring before concluding pathology exists 3, 5
Always correlate color-coded results with optic nerve appearance, visual fields, and patient risk factors rather than relying on automated classification alone.