Disc hemorrhage and peripapillary atrophy in apparently healthy subjects.

PURPOSE: We estimated the prevalence of disc hemorrhage and peripapillary atrophy in apparently healthy subjects.

METHODS

We reviewed consecutive plain color fundus photographs of 12,140 eyes of 6,070 subjects (male/female=4,079/1,991) who visited a health consultation center.

RESULTS

We analyzed 11,934 eyes of 5,967 subjects with good quality of photographs. Disc hemorrhage was found in 36 eyes of 35 subjects (0.6%). The prevalence of disc hemorrhage was significantly greater in women 60 years of age or older (Fisher's exact test, p=0.0004). The prevalence of peripapillary atrophy (zone Beta, zone Alpha), and suspected glaucomatous excavation in eyes with disc hemorrhage was 66.7%, 86.1% and 25.0%, respectively, and significantly greater than that (29.1%, 52.9% and 1.7%) in eyes without disc hemorrhage (Fisher's exact test, p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Disc hemorrhage is more frequent in women over 60 years of age and is significantly associated with peripapillary atrophy in otherwise apparently healthy Japanese people.