CAN THE EXTENT OF GLAUCOMA DAMAGE BE QUAN TIFIED USING THE DIFFERENCEOF PERIPAPILLARY HEIGHT MEASUREMENT VALUES BETWEEN UPPER AND LOWER RETINAL HALVES - A CLINICAL-STUDY USING THE HEIDELBERG RETINA TOMOGRAPHY

Background Peripapillary height measurements are possible using 2 diff erent reference planes of the Heidelberg-Retina-Tomograph. It is not t ested yet, whether the extent of glaucoma damage should be better quan tfied using reference plane 1 or 2. Patients and Methods In 32 eyes of 32 glaucoma patients with a defined up-down asymmetry of visual field loss is tested I.) if there is a significant correlation between peri papillary height and visual field loss comparing reference plane 1 and 2. II.) if there is a conformable up-down asymmetry of the peripapill ary height using a new ''retinal-asymmetry-difference'' (RAD). III.) i f conformity between peripapillary height and visual field loss depend s on the distance from the disc margin. Results I.) For an advanced vi sual field loss there was a significant correlation between visual fie ld loss and peripapillary height using reference plane 1. II.) In eyes with a big up-down asymmetry of visual field loss there was a bigger conformity between the up-down asymmetry of visual field loss and the up-down asymetry of the peripapillary height (11 of 12 eyes), as for a small. up-down asymmetry (12 of 20 eyes). III.) Conformity decreases with the distance from the disc margin. Conclusions Peripapillary heig ht should be examined using measurement circles near the disc margin. Because of its independence on the age and on different reference plan es additional calculation of an up-down ''retinal-asymmetry-difference '' (RAD) seems to be useful. Using this up-down ''retinal-asymmetry-di fference'' (RAD) a big up-down asymmetry of visual field loss, equival ent to an advanced glaucomatous disease, is quantified with high sensi tivity.