Possible significance of cilioretinal arteries in open-angle glaucoma

To study the possible prognostic significance of the cilioretinal artery in open-angle glaucoma, the disc stereophotographs of one hundred consecutive patients with bilateral open-angle glaucoma were reviewed for the presence of cilioretinal arteries. The charts of 20 patients with unilateral cilioretinal arteries were then studied for the extent of the optic disc cupping and visual field damage. Despite the absence of a significant difference in the intraocular pressure between the two groups, eyes with cilioretinal arteries showed larger cup/disc ratios and more visual field damage when compared to the contralateral eyes without cilioretinal arteries in the same patients.