PURPOSE: To investigate and compare the progression of medically treated primary open angle glaucoma according to the baseline intraocular pressure (IOP). METHODS: This study included a total of 345 eyes from 345 patients (mean follow-up period, 4.5 years). Eyes were classified into either conventional normal tension glaucoma (cNTG, < or =21 mmHg) or conventional high-tension glaucoma (cHTG, >21 mmHg) groups according to the conventional cut-off value of the IOP. Additionally, the median IOP (15 mmHg) was used to create two other groups (median NTG [mNTG] < or =15 mmHg and median HTG [mHTG] >15 mmHg). Using these values, 306, 39, 153, and 192 eyes were assigned to the cNTG, cHTG, mNTG, and mHTG groups, respectively. Glaucoma progression was determined either by optic disc/retinal nerve fiber layer photographs or serial visual field data. RESULTS: Mean reduction of IOP after medical treatment and of central corneal thickness was lower in the cNTG group, while the prevalence of disc hemorrhage and baseline visual field mean deviation did not differ between the cNTG and cHTG groups. A mean reduction in the IOP was observed after medical treatment, and central corneal thickness was lower in the mNTG group; disc hemorrhage was more frequent in the mNTG than in the mHTG group. Among the 345 analyzed eyes, 100 (29%) showed progression during the follow-up period. In the cHTG group, a higher baseline IOP (hazard ratio, 1.147; p = 0.024) was associated with glaucoma progression. Disc hemorrhage (hazard ratio, 15.533; p < 0.001) was also strongly associated with progression in the mNTG group. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline IOP was a significant risk factor for glaucoma progression in cHTG patients (10% of our total participants), while disc hemorrhage showed the strongest association with progression in the mNTG group, indicating that a cut-off value other than the conventional 21 mmHg is required to define true low-tension glaucoma in populations where NTG predominates among all glaucoma patients.
Aged ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/*diagnosis ; Gonioscopy ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Low Tension Glaucoma/*diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Fibers/pathology ; Optic Disk/pathology ; Optic Nerve Diseases/*diagnosis ; Photography/standards ; Retinal Ganglion Cells/pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Tonometry, Ocular ; Vision Disorders/diagnosis ; Visual Field Tests/standards ; Visual Fields

This study was done to report the epidemiologic characteristics of medical retirement from the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army due to visual impairment and to suggest a practical screening system for the draft. The medical records of 423 eyes of 301 patients who retired from the ROK Army due to visual impairment were reviewed retrospectively between January 2010 and December 2014. The patients were grouped by the presence of trauma, and each group was subdivided by military rank. We analyzed demographic and ophthalmic data, including the etiology of ophthalmologic disease. The etiology was classified into 5 anatomical categories (ocular surface, lens, retina, optic nerve and extraocular visual pathway, and extraocular muscle and orbit), which were then subdivided into the type of disease. The mean age was 24.5 years, and non-traumatic mechanisms accounted for 81.1% (343/423 eyes) of medical retirements. Visual acuity was better in patients without trauma. In enlisted soldiers, disease in the optic nerve and extraocular visual pathway was the most common anatomical category (40.5%), and primary open angle glaucoma (30.8%), retinal dystrophy (18.3%), congenital cataract (14.5%), and retinal detachment (9.7%) were the four most common diseases. Most medical retirements due to visual impairment resulted from non-traumatic mechanisms, even though patients were young. The fundus examination and visual field test would be more useful tools than a conventional vision test for large-scale draft screening for the most common two disease types: primary open angle glaucoma and retinal dystrophy.
Adult ; Cataract/epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Military Personnel ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retinal Dystrophies/epidemiology ; *Retirement ; Retrospective Studies ; Vision Disorders/epidemiology/*pathology ; Visual Acuity ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical characteristics of unilaterally progressing glaucoma (UPG) and simultaneously bilaterally progressing glaucoma (BPG) in medically treated cases. METHODS: Primary open angle glaucoma patients were classified as having UPG or BPG according to an assessment of optic disc and retinal nerve fiber layer photographs and visual field analysis. Risk factors including the presence of systemic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular accident, migraine, and dyslipidema) were compared between the UPG and BPG groups. Baseline characteristics and pre- and post-treatment intraocular pressure (IOP) were compared between the progressing eye (PE) and the non-progressing eye (NPE) within the same patient in the UPG group and between the faster progressing eye and the slower progressing eye in the BPG group. RESULTS: Among 343 patients (average follow-up period of 4.2 years), 43 were categorized into the UPG group and 31 into the BPG group. The prevalence of all analyzed systemic diseases did not differ between the two groups. PEs in the UPG group had more severe pathology in terms of baseline visual field parameters than NPEs (mean deviation -6.9 ± 5.7 vs. -2.9 ± 3.9 dB, respectively; p < 0.001). However, baseline IOP, mean follow-up IOP, and other clinical characteristics were not significantly different between the PE and the NPE in the UPG group. The progression rate was significantly higher in the faster progressing eye in patients with BPG than in the PE for patients with UPG (-3.43 ± 3.27 vs. -0.70 ± 1.26 dB/yr, respectively; p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in the prevalence of systemic diseases between the UPG and BPG groups. Simultaneously bilaterally progressing patients showed much faster progression rates than those with a unilaterally progressing eye.
Disease Progression ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/*diagnosis/physiopathology ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure/*physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Optic Disk/*pathology ; Retina/*pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors ; Visual Fields/*physiology

PURPOSE: To investigate the differences in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) change and optic nerve head parameters between non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and open angle glaucoma (OAG) with altitudinal visual field defect. METHODS: Seventeen NAION patients and 26 OAG patients were enrolled prospectively. The standard visual field indices (mean deviation, pattern standard deviation) were obtained from the Humphrey visual field test and differences between the two groups were analyzed. Cirrus HD-OCT parameters were used, including optic disc head analysis, average RNFL thickness, and RNFL thickness of each quadrant. RESULTS: The mean deviation and pattern standard deviation were not significantly different between the groups. In the affected eye, although the disc area was similar between the two groups (2.00 +/- 0.32 and 1.99 +/- 0.33 mm2, p = 0.586), the rim area of the OAG group was smaller than that of the NAION group (1.26 +/- 0.56 and 0.61 +/- 0.15 mm2, respectively, p < 0.001). RNFL asymmetry was not different between the two groups (p = 0.265), but the inferior RNFL thickness of both the affected and unaffected eyes were less in the OAG group than in the NAION group. In the analysis of optic disc morphology, both affected and unaffected eyes showed significant differences between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: To differentiate NAION from OAG in eyes with altitudinal visual field defects, optic disc head analysis of not only the affected eye, but also the unaffected eye, by using spectral domain optical coherence tomography may be helpful.
Aged ; Arteritis/diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Fibers/*pathology ; Optic Disk/*pathology ; Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic/*diagnosis ; Prospective Studies ; Retinal Ganglion Cells/*pathology ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Vision Disorders/*diagnosis ; Visual Field Tests ; *Visual Fields

PURPOSE: Rebound tonometer has been used to measure the intraocular pressure (IOP) in the supine as well as normal upright positions. We investigated the reliability of IOP measurements using the rebound tonometer in the upright and supine positions. METHODS: IOP was measured in 30 patients (60 eyes) with open-angle glaucoma who had no history of ocular surgery and no anterior segment pathology, in both the upright and supine positions using rebound tonometer (IcarePRO; Icare Finland Oy, Finland). The average IOP value after 6 measurements was recorded. We measured IOP repeatedly until 3 reliable values within normal limits of the measurement's variation were obtained. We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation, and number of repeated measurements necessary to obtain 3 reliable IOP values in each position as measured by one examiner. RESULTS: ICC values for IOP measurements were 0.852 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.784-0.903; p < 0.001) in the upright position and 0.684 (95% CI, 0.563-0.784; p < 0.027) in the supine position. Coefficient of variation was 8.7 +/- 0.1% in the upright position and 24.0 +/- 0.1% in the supine position. An average of 3.3 times of repeated measurements in the upright position and 6.2 times in the supine position were necessary to obtain 3 reliable IOP values within the normal range of standard deviation. CONCLUSIONS: When measuring IOP using the IcarePRO rebound tonometer, the measurement reliability was different between the upright and supine positions. Reproducibility of IOP measurements was lower in the upright than the supine position.
Finland ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iron-Dextran Complex ; Pathology ; Reference Values ; Supine Position*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the characteristics and relationship between peripapillary choroidal thickness (pCT), lamina cribrosa thickness (LCT), and peripapillary outer retinal layer thickness (pORT) as determined using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) enhanced depth imaging (EDI). METHODS: In total, 255 participants were included (87 healthy subjects, 87 glaucoma suspects (GS), and 81 glaucoma cases). The pORT, defined as the thickness between the posterior outer plexiform layer and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) interface, and the pCT, between the outer margin of the RPE and the choroidal-scleral interface, were manually measured using EDI scanning of the circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). LCT was determined by EDI scanning of the optic nerve head (ONH). Baseline characteristics, including axial length (AXL) and the SD-OCT measurements of the participants, were compared among the three groups. The correlation between putative factors and pCT was determined using univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses. RESULTS: In all three groups, both pORT and pCT were thinnest in the inferior area among the four quadrants. In the healthy group, the mean peripapillary RNFL, pORT, and LCT were significantly greater in comparison with those of the GS and glaucoma groups (p < 0.001, p < 0.038, and p < 0.001, respectively). The pCT demonstrated no significant differences among the three groups (p = 0.083). Only age and AXL were associated with pCT by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The pCT is substantially thinner in the inferior area of the ONH. In addition, the pCT demonstrates the strongest correlation with age and AXL, but was not associated with glaucoma or LCT.
Choroid/*pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retina/*pathology ; Severity of Illness Index ; Tomography, Optical Coherence/*methods

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between the structural damage as assessed by time-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and functional changes in glaucoma. METHODS: In total, 190 patients with normal tension glaucoma or primary open angle glaucoma were included in this study. The thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) around the optic disc and the area of RNFL defect were determined using OCT scans. The relationships between the RNFL thickness or area of the defect and visual field (VF) indices were assessed using the Lowess function, regression analysis and partial Spearman correlation. The differences between these associations depending on the stage of VF damage were further analyzed. Age, optic disc size, refraction, central corneal thickness and the presence of systemic disease were corrected for in order to exclude confounding factors. RESULTS: A logarithmic scale of RNFL thickness showed a negative linear relationship with VF indices. The area of the RNFL defect showed a weak correlation with the pattern of standard deviation, whereas the remnant RNFL thickness was moderately correlated with the pattern of standard deviation (partial Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.39, -0.47, respectively; p < 0.0001). Many outliers were detected in the Lowess-plotted graphs. Multiplication of the area and the inverted RNFL thickness showed a moderately correlated logarithmic relationship with the VF indices (partial Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.34 to 0.57; p < 0.0001). In the severe stage of VF damage, correlation between the area of the RNFL defect and mean deviation was significantly greater than in other stages (partial Spearman correlation coefficient, -0.66; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The thickness of the RNFL had a negative logarithmic correlation with the VF indices and was more relevant to the VF indices than the area of the RNFL defect, as measured by OCT.
Aged ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/*physiopathology ; Humans ; Low Tension Glaucoma/*physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Fibers/*pathology ; Optic Nerve Diseases/*physiopathology ; Retinal Ganglion Cells/*pathology ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Field Tests ; Visual Fields/*physiology

BACKGROUNDFundus changes associated with high myopia (HM) may mask those associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). This study aim to determine the characteristics of RNFL thickness changes in patients with both POAG and HM and compare these to changes in patients with only HM. The diagnostic capabilities of both OCT and GDxVCC in this subset of patients are also evaluated.

METHODSTwenty-two eyes with POAG and HM (spherical equivalent (SE) between -6.0 and -12.0 D) were evaluated, and 22 eyes with HM were used for comparison. Characteristic retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness profiles in patients with POAG and HM were examined using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (GDxVCC), and the diagnostic capabilities of these imaging modalities were compared. RNFL parameters evaluated included superior average (Savg-GDx), inferior average (Iavg-GDx), temporal-superior-nasal- inferior-temporal (TSNIT) average, and nerve fiber indicator (NFI) on GDxVCC and superior average (Savg-OCT), inferior average (Iavg-OCT), nasal average (Navg-OCT), temporal average (Tavg-OCT), and average thickness (AvgThick-OCT) on OCT (fast RNFL scan). Visual field testing was performed and defects were evaluated using mean defect (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD).

RESULTSThe RNFL parameters (P < 0.05) significantly different between groups included Savg-GDx, Iavg-GDx, TSNIT average, NFI, Savg-OCT, Iavg-OCT, Tavg-OCT, and AvgThick-OCT. Significant correlations existed between TSNIT average and AvgThick-OCT (r = 0.778), TSNIT average and MD (r = 0.749), AvgThick-OCT and MD (r = 0.647), TSNIT average and PSD (r = -0.756), and AvgThick-OCT and PSD (r = -0.784). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values of TSNIT average, Savg-GDx, Iavg-GDx, NFI, Savg-OCT, Iavg-OCT, Navg-OCT, Tavg-OCT, and AvgThick-OCT were 0.947, 0.962, 0.973, 0.994, 0.909, 0.917, 0.511, 0.906, and 0.913, respectively. The NFI AUROC was the highest value.

CONCLUSIONSRNFL thickness was significantly lower in all but the nasal quadrant in patients with POAG and HM, compared to patients with only HM. Measurements with OCT and GDxVCC were well-correlated, and both modalities detected RNFL thickness changes. However, GDxVCC was better than OCT in detecting POAG in HM patients.

Adult ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Myopia ; pathology ; Nerve Fibers ; pathology ; Retinal Neurons ; pathology ; Scanning Laser Polarimetry ; methods ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; methods

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the clinical and angiographic characteristics of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous eyes with unilateral RVO in the fellow eye. METHODS: Twenty-one glaucomatous eyes (GL group) and 25 age-matched non-glaucomatous eyes (non-GL group) with unilateral RVO in the fellow eye were included in this study. Fluorescein angiographic images were assessed in both groups by 3 retina specialists in order to determine the RVO occlusion site. The occlusion site was divided into 2 types: arteriovenous (AV)-crossing and non-AV-crossing (optic cup or optic nerve sited). The clinical characteristics and prevalence of AV-crossing and non-AV-crossing RVO were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The mean baseline intraocular pressures of the RVO eye and the fellow eye did not differ between the 2 groups (RVO eye: 14.3 +/- 2.5 mmHg [non-GL group], 15.5 +/- 3.9 mmHg [GL group], p = 0.217; fellow eye: 14.4 +/- 2.5 mmHg [non-GL group], 15.7 +/- 3.7 mmHg [GL group], p = 0.148). The prevalence of systemic disease did not differ between the 2 groups (e.g., diabetes mellitus and hypertension, p = 0.802 and 0.873, respectively). AV-crossing RVO was significantly more frequent in the non-GL group (19 eyes; 76%) than in the GL group (4 eyes, 19%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Non-AV-crossing RVO, i.e., optic cup- or optic nerve-sited RVO, is more frequently associated with glaucomatous changes in the fellow eye. Therefore, this type of RVO should be monitored more carefully for indications of glaucoma in the fellow eye.
Female ; Fluorescein Angiography/*methods ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fundus Oculi ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retinal Vein Occlusion/*diagnosis ; Retinal Vessels/*pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index

INTRODUCTIONTo describe the optic disc, visual field and ocular characteristics of a consecutive cohort of Asian patients with chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma (CPACG), and compare them with those having primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

METHODSIn a prospective comparative case series of new patients with POAG or CPACG in Singapore, all patients underwent visual acuity assessment, slit-lamp examination, tonometry, gonioscopy, refraction, Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) and Humphrey visual field (HVF) assessment.

RESULTS98 patients were enrolled (POAG n = 48; CPACG n = 50). CPACG patients were significantly older (66.5 ± 9.2 years vs. 64.1 ± 13.5 years; p = 0.027) and mostly female (p = 0.004). CPACG eyes had significantly higher intraocular pressure (26.9 ± 6.9 mmHg vs. 24.5 ± 3.3 mmHg; p = 0.03), shorter axial length (22.89 ± 0.97 mm vs. 24.26 ± 1.79 mm; p < 0.001) and shallower anterior chamber depth (2.60 ± 0.25 mm vs. 3.16 ± 0.48 mm; p < 0.001). HVF mean deviation or pattern standard deviation (PSD) did not differ significantly between POAG and CPACG eyes, but the latter had a lower PSD for a given mean deviation. HRT parameters between the two groups were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONIn this study, CPACG eyes had significantly higher presenting intraocular pressure than POAG eyes, but there were no significant differences in optic disc topography. A majority of the patients in both groups had moderate field defects at the time of presentation, followed by severe and then mild defects. The field loss in CPACG eyes was more diffuse than that in POAG eyes.

Aged ; Female ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Optic Disk ; pathology ; Prospective Studies ; Retina ; pathology ; Singapore ; Tomography ; Visual Field Tests ; Visual Fields