Skip to main content

A comparison of optic disc topographic parameters in patients with primary open angle glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma, and ocular hypertension

Abstract

Background

Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) findings have been employed to quantitatively assess the topography of optic discs. We measured topographic parameters of optic discs in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), and ocular hypertension (OH) using an HRT in order to determine whether HRT topographic parameters can be used to differentiate those conditions.

Methods

Seventeen eyes in 17 patients with POAG, 23 eyes in 23 patients with NTG, and 15 eyes in 15 patients with OH were examined using an HRT, and the results were analyzed by age, refractive error, and topographic parameters.

Results

Among the HRT parameters, the mean values for rim area, rim volume, cup disk area ratio, and classification showed significant differences among POAG, NTG, and OH eyes. The mean values for cup area, cup volume, mean RNFL thickness, and RNFL cross section area showed significant differences between POAG and NTG eyes, and NTG and OH eyes, however, not between POAG and OH eyes. Cup shape measure showed significant differences between POAG and OH, and NTG and OH eyes, but not between POAG and NTG eyes.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that POAG is distinguishable from NTG and OH based on evaluations of rim area and rim volume. Patients with NTG tend to have larger cupping, smaller rims, and thinner retinal nerve fiber layers as compared to POAG and OH patients. Thus, HRT topographic parameters are useful to differentiate patients with POAG, NTG, and OH.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Fig. 1a–d.

References

  1. Airaksinen PJ, Drance SM, Douglas GR, Schulzer M (1985) Neuroretinal rim areas and visual field indices in glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 99:107–110

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Airaksinen PJ, Drance SM, Schulzer M (1985) Neuroretinal rim area in early glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 99:1–4

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Armaly MF (1967) Genetic determination of the cup/disc ratio of the optic nerve. Arch Ophthalmol 78:35–43

    Google Scholar 

  4. Balazsi AG, Drance SM, Schulzer M, Douglas GR (1984) Neuroretinal rim area in suspected glaucoma and early chronic open-angle glaucoma. Arch Ophthalmol 102:1011–1014

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bowd C, Zangwill LM, Blumenthal EZ, Vasile C, Boehm AG, Gokhale PA, Mohammadi K, Amini P, Sankary TM, Weinreb RN (2002) Imaging of the optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer: the effects of age, optic disc area, refractive error, and gender. J Opt Soc Am A 19:197–207

    Google Scholar 

  6. Caprioli J (1994) Clinical evaluation of the optic nerve in glaucoma. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc 12:589–641

    Google Scholar 

  7. Chauhan BC, McCormick TA, Nicolela MT, LeBlanc RP (2001) Optic disc and visual field changes in a prospective longitudinal study of patients with glaucoma. Comparison of scanning laser tomography with conventional perimetry and optic photography. Arch Ophthalmol 119:1492–1499

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Iester M, Broadway DC, Mikelberg FS, Drance SM (1997) A comparison of healthy, ocular hypertensive, and glaucomatous optic disk topographic parameters. J Glaucoma 6:363–370

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Jonas JB, Budde WM (1999) Optic cup deepening spatially correlated with optic nerve damage in focal normal-pressure glaucoma. J Glaucoma 8:227–231

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Katz LY, Speth GL, Cantor LB, Poryzees EM, Steinmann WC (1989) Reversible optic disc cupping and visual field improvement in adults with glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 107:485–492

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Miglior S, Casula M, Guareschi M, Marchetti I, Iester M, Orzalesi N (2001) Clinical ability of Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph examination to detect glaucomatous visual field change. Ophthalmology 108:1621–1627

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Mikelberg FS, Parfitt CM, Swindale NV, Graham SL, Drance SM, Gosine R (1995) Ability of the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph to detect early glaucomatous visual field loss. J Glaucoma 4:242–247

    Google Scholar 

  13. Quigley HA, Dunkelberger GR, Green WR (1989) Retinal ganglion cell atrophy correlated with automated perimetry in human eyes with glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol 107:453–464

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Quigley HA, Katz J, Derick RJ, Gilbert D, Sommer A (1992) An evaluation of optic disc and nerve fiber layer examinations in monitoring progression of early glaucoma damage. Ophthalmology 99:19–28

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Raitta C, Tomita G, Vesti E, Harju M, Nakao H (1996) Optic disc topography before and after trabeculectomy in advanced glaucoma. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers 27:349–354

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Sanchez-Galeana C, Bowd C. Blumenthal EZ, Gokhale PA, Zangwill LM, Weinreb RN (2001) Using optic imaging summary data to detect glaucoma. Ophthalmology 108:1812–1818

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Sommer A, Katz J, Quigley HA, Miller NR, Robin AL, Richter RC, Witt KA (1991) Clinically detectable nerve fiber atrophy precedes the onset of glaucomatous field loss. Arch Ophthalmol 109:77–83

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Tsai CS, Shin DH, Wan JY, Zeiter JH (1991) Visual field global indices in patients with reversal of glaucomatous cupping after intraocular pressure reduction. Ophthalmology 98:1412–1419

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Uchida H, Brigatti L, Caprioli J (1996) Detection of structural damage from glaucoma with confocal laser image analysis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 37:2393–2401

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Yamagami J, Araie M, Shirato S (1992) A comparative study of optic nerve head in low-and high-tension glaucomas. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 230:446–450

    Google Scholar 

  21. Yamazaki Y, Yoshikawa K, Kunimatsu S, Koseki N, Suzuki Y, Matsumoto S, Araie M (1999) Influence of myopic disc shape on the diagnostic precision of the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph. Jpn J Ophthalmol 43:392–397

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Zangwill LM, van Horn S, de Souza Lima M, Sample PA, Weinreb RN (1996) Optic nerve head topography in ocular hypertensive eyes using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy. Am J Ophthalmol 122:520–525

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Zeyen TG, Caprioli J (1993) Progression of disc and field damage in early glaucoma. Arch Ophthalmol 111:62–65

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Zinser G, Wijnaendts-van-Resandt RW, Dreher AW, Weinreb RN, Harbarth U, Schröder H, Burk ROW (1989) Confocal laser tomographic scanning of the eye. In: Wampler JE (ed) New methods in microscopy and low light imaging: proceedings of SPIE. International Society for Optical Engineering, Bellingham, Wash. 1161:337–344.

Download references

Acknowledgement

This study was supported in part by grants for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

Author information

Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akira Ando.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kiriyama, N., Ando, A., Fukui, C. et al. A comparison of optic disc topographic parameters in patients with primary open angle glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma, and ocular hypertension. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 241, 541–545 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-003-0702-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-003-0702-0

Keywords

  • Glaucoma
  • Optic Disc
  • Ocular Hypertension
  • Topographic Parameter
  • Early Glaucoma