Correlation of peripapillary retinal height and visual field in glaucoma and normal subjects

To investigate the relationship between peripapillary retinal height and visual field sensitivity.

Fourteen normal subjects and 25 primary open-angle glaucoma patients were examined using a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph). Visual fields (Humphrey program 24-2) were assessed with both standard achromatic automated perimetry and shortwavelength automated perimetry. The mean peripapillary retinal height was determined for superotemporal (60-90 degrees ), superonasal (91-120 degrees ), inferotemporal (271-300 degrees ), and inferonasal (240-270 degrees ) sectors. Based on Glaucoma Hemifield Test sector definitions, achromatic automated perimetry and short-wavelength automated perimetry fields were divided into each of four distinct regions.

Significant differences in disc rim area, rim-disc area ratio, cup volume, and each papillary region were found between glaucoma patients and normal subjects. With both standard achromatic automated perimetry and short-wavelength automated perimetry, significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between the mean peripapillary retinal height of the inferotemporal, inferonasal, superotemporal, and superonasal sectors and age-adjusted mean deviation of their respective anatomically matched visual field region. In addition, peripapillary retinal height was more highly correlated with ageadjusted mean deviation than disc rim area in glaucoma patients.

We found that peripapillary height, particularly in the temporal region, showed the strongest association with visual field loss in glaucoma patients.