[Glaucoma-like disc without increased intraocular pressure or visual field loss and early stage normal-tension...

The optic disc topography of 11 eyes of 11 glaucoma-like discs without increased intraocular pressure or visual field loss was compared with that of 11 eyes of 11 relative early stage normal-tension glaucomas. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of optic disc parameters measured with a Rodenstock Optic Nerve Head Analyzer Plus, except that the inferior quadrant of the neuroretinal rim area of the normal-tension glaucoma discs was significantly smaller than that of the glaucoma-like discs. Also, in the Humphrey automated visual field, only the superior part of the Total Deviation score of normal-tension glaucoma eyes corresponding to the inferior disc changes was significantly lower than that of glaucoma-like discs. When the data of the two groups were pooled, the inferior quadrant of the neuroretinal rim area significantly correlated with the visual field loss in the group of eyes with a rim area smaller than 0.198 mm2. These results seem to suggest that some of the glaucoma-like discs might be early normal-tension glaucoma.