Optic disc analysis with Heidelberg Retina Tomography III in glaucoma with unilateral visual field defects.

PURPOSE: To find the optic disc features of asymmetric primary open-angle glaucoma.

METHODS

In this observational case-control study, 52 consecutive open-angle glaucoma patients with unilateral visual field defects participated. In each patient, an optic disc analysis using Heidelberg Retina Tomography III (HRT-III) was performed. Optic disc parameters of HRT-III of eyes with abnormal visual fields were compared with their fellow eyes with normal visual fields.

RESULTS

The optic disc area of the eyes with abnormal visual fields (2.35 +/- 0.55 mm(2)) was larger than that of the fellow eyes with normal visual fields (2.25 +/- 0.43 mm(2)) (P = 0.03). Of the eyes with abnormal visual fields, 63.5% had a larger optic disc area than their fellow eyes with normal visual fields. In addition, in the eyes with abnormal visual fields, the cup areas were larger (P = 0.000001-0.02), whereas the rim and retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses were thinner (P = 0.000002-0.036) than those of the fellow eyes with normal visual fields.

CONCLUSIONS

The optic disc area of eyes with abnormal visual fields was larger than that of their fellow eyes with normal visual fields, suggesting that Chinese open-angle glaucoma patients with larger optic discs might be susceptible to glaucomatous optic damage.