Peripapillary Atrophy in Asymmetric Glaucoma

ABSTRACT

Peripapillary atrophy is more frequently seen and larger in glaucomatous eyes than in ocular hypertension or normal eyes. There have been numerous debates whether peripapillary atrophy is caused by elevation of intraocular pressure or it is an anatomic variant which is more vulnerable to glaucomatous damage. In this study, we compared the area of peripapillary atrophy of normal and glaucomatous eye in asymmetric glaucoma. The optic nerve head area was 2.65 +/- 0.54mm2 in glaucomatous eyes and 2.59 +/- 0.47mm2 in control eyes(p=0.53). The peripapillary atrophy area was 1.13 +/- 0.86mm2 in glaucomatous eyes and 0.94 +/- 0.81mm2 in control eyes(p=0.35). There was no significant difference in peripapillary atrophy area or optic nerve head area between glaucomatous eyes and normal eyes. Our results suggest that peripapillary atrophy may not be caused by the intraocular pressure elevation.