Intraocular pressure and central visual field of normal tension glaucoma

To study whether damage in the central 30 degrees field of normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is relatively heterogeneous or homogeneous with respect to intraocular pressure (IOP) related damage.

Using the results of Humphrey perimeter examinations, the central 30 degrees field was divided into four subfields; superior and inferior hemifields excluding the caecocentral field (30-2 program) and superior and inferior 10 degrees hemifields (10-2 program). In 103 NTG cases, the intraindividual bilateral difference in the mean of total deviations (mean TD) in the four subfields was analysed by multiple linear regression to correct the effects of factors other than IOP. Explanatory variables were the intraindividual bilateral difference in the mean of clinic IOP (IOPmean), that in the ratio of area of peripapillary atrophy corresponding to each subfield to disc area, and that in myopic refraction.

The intraindividual bilateral difference in the mean TD was significantly and negatively correlated with that in IOPmean in three of the above four subfields (p < 0.005) and correlation tended to be negative (p = 0.07) in the superior 10 degrees hemifield.

Diffuse IOP related damage was suggested in the central 30 degrees field of NTG; greater extent of the damage in the above four subfields was correlated with higher mean IOP. The present findings may have clinical implications.