Objective: To evaluate the difference of the peripapillary atrophy between two eyes of unilateral visual field defect in each of patient with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG).
Methods: This study included 40 eyes with unilateral visual field defect in patients with POAG (20 cases) and NTG (20 cases). Color stereo optic disc photographs were morphometrically evaluated by a video camera and a computer system. The refractive range (spherical equivalent) of all these subjects was between -3.00D and +3.00D.
Results: The cup areas (CA) and cup/disc areas (CA/DA) in eyes with visual field defect were significantly larger than in eyes with normal visual field (CA: t=5.332, P<0.01; CA/DA: t=5.126, P<0.01). The alpha zone areas (alphaA) of PPA were significantly enlarged in visual field defect eyes compared with visual field normal eyes (t=3.02, P=0.0045), while there is no significant difference in beta-zone area (betaA) between two eyes. (S=13.5, P=0.426). The frequency of the PPA (alpha-zone and beta-zone) occurrence were also similar in both eyes. (alphaA: chi(2)=0.00, P=1.000; betaA: chi(2)=1.2857, P=0.2568).
Conclusion: The results suggest that either beta-zone area or the presence of PPA is not closely correlated to the visual field defect in POAG and NTG patients with exclusion of moderate or high myopia.