Peripapillary atrophy in the unilateral exfoliation syndrome

To compare the areas of peripapillary atrophy between fellow eyes in patients with unilateral exfoliation syndrome.

Topographic measurements for peripapillary atrophy and the optic nerve head with confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, using the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph were performed on 45 nonglaucomatous patients with unilateral exfoliation syndrome. The area of peripapillary atrophy was divided into an alpha and a beta zone. The areas of alpha and beta peripapillary atrophy and their angular extents around the disc were measured. The frequency distributions of the alpha and beta areas and their largest radial extents at different positions around the disc were calculated.

An alpha area was detected in 84% of the exfoliative and 89% of the nonexfoliative fellow eyes, and a beta area in 31% and 42% of eyes, respectively. The exfoliative and the fellow nonexfoliative eyes did not differ in the sizes of the alpha (0.43+/-0.46 vs 0.33+/-0.18 mm(2), P=0.68) and beta (0.14+/-0.30 vs 0.17+/-0.34 mm(2), P=0.96) areas of peripapillary atrophy. The angular extents, the locations of the largest radial extent, and the frequency distributions of the alpha and beta peripapillary atrophy areas were similar in fellow eyes.

Exfoliation syndrome itself is not a risk factor for peripapillary atrophy.