PERIPAPILLARY ATROPHY IN UNILATERAL CAPSULAR GLAUCOMA

Pairwise comparisons of peripapillary crescents and haloes were perfor med for 56 eyes of 28 patients with early or moderate unilateral capsu lar glaucoma and no signs of exfoliation in the contralateral eye. The eyes differed highly significantly in rim area, rim/disc area ratio, cup area, and cup volume. They did not differ in disc areas, scleral r ing areas, or size of peripapillary crescents. In the nonglaucomatous and glaucomatous eyes a significant correlation existed between the in traocular pressure (IOP) and the area of peripapillary atrophy. The ar ea of peripapillary atrophy was significantly correlated with the dama ge to the glaucomatous optic nerve head. We concluded that the area of peripapillary atrophy is largely an inborn feature, and that nerve fi ber loss can occur without differences in the peripapillary tissues. N evertheless, an IOP-induced change in the retinal pigment epithelium c annot be ruled out.