Possibly reduced prevalence of peripapillary crescents in ocular hypertension

We studied optic disc photographs from 137 healthy subjects and 195 subjects with ocular hypertension. The prevalence of peripapillary crescents was lower among hyperopes than among myopes (p less than 0.05). Moreover, the ocular hypertensive subjects had a statistically significant tendency toward a hyperopic median refraction (p less than 0.01). In keeping with this, we observed a lower prevalence rate of crescents in the ocular hypertensive group (35%) than among the healthy subjects (41%). This difference is in the expected direction and magnitude if the absence of a crescent decreases the risk of glaucomatous damage from elevated intraocular pressure, but the number of subjects was too small to obtain statistical significance; however, the evidence is suggestive. Further study, such as in a large population survey or by comparison of two groups with matched genetic heritage, is needed to substantiate the relation between the presence of a crescent and increased risk of glaucomatous damage.