Role of the temporal cilioretinal artery in retaining central visual field in open-angle glaucoma

The authors reviewed the optic disc photographs of 34 eyes with high-pressure open-angle glaucoma with advanced visual field loss. Thirteen eyes (38%) had one or two temporal cilioretinal arteries, and 21 eyes (62%) had no temporal cilioretinal artery. All 13 eyes with a temporal cilioretinal artery retained central visual field and had visual acuity of 20/40 or better. In the 21 eyes without a temporal cilioretinal artery, 8 eyes lost central visual field and 12 eyes had a visual acuity of less than 20/40, while 13 eyes retained central visual field and 9 eyes had a visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Significant differences were obtained when eyes with and without cilioretinal arteries were compared for retention of visual field (P less than 0.02) and visual acuity (P less than 0.01). The presence of a temporal cilioretinal artery may provide more circulation to the temporal rim of the optic disc and aid in retaining central field and visual acuity in advanced open-angle glaucoma.