Highly myopic eyes with glaucoma along with highly myopic eyes without glaucoma examined at the Glaucoma Clinic of Seoul National University Hospital between January 2011 and January 2016 were consecutively enrolled on the basis of a retrospective medical-record review. All subjects underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, including visual acuity assessment; refraction; slit-lamp biomicroscopy; gonioscopy; Goldmann applanation tonometry (Haag-Streit, Koniz, Switzerland); and dilated stereoscopic examination of the optic disc. They also underwent central corneal thickness (CCT) measurement (Orbscan 73 II; Bausch & Lomb Surgical, Rochester, NY, USA); AL measurement (Axis II PR; Quantel Medical, Inc., Bozeman, MT, USA); digital color stereo disc photography; red-free RNFL photography; optic nerve head (ONH) and macular imaging by HD-OCT (Cirrus; Carl Zeiss Meditec) and a central 30-2 threshold test of the Humphrey visual field (HVF, HFA II; Humphrey Instruments, Inc., Dublin, CA, USA).
For inclusion, individuals were required to have an AL >26.5 mm and a normal open anterior chamber angle. Individuals were excluded from further analysis based on the following criteria: (1) the existence of a secondary cause of glaucomatous optic neuropathy; (2) a history of intraocular surgery (except cataract surgery) or retinal laser photocoagulation; and (3) any neurologic or systemic diseases that could affect retinal or visual-field results. One eye was randomly selected if both were found to be eligible.
All stereo disc photographs were examined for a glaucomatous optic disc appearance by two experienced, masked examiners (YYK, KHP) working independently of each other. At the time of the evaluation, neither examiner was aware of the perimetric findings or of any other clinical data. We differentiated between the absolute and relative criteria for diagnosis of glaucomatous optic disc described previously by Jonas et al.
21 The absolute criteria include a notch in the neuroretinal rim in the temporal inferior disc region or temporal superior disc region, localized RNFL defects that cannot be explained by any cause other than glaucoma, and an abnormally large cup size as compared with the optic disc size. The relative criteria were a neuroretinal rim markedly narrower in the inferior disc region than in the superior disc region, even if the smallest neuroretinal rim part was located in the temporal horizontal disc region; a diffuse decrease in the visibility of the RNFL (particularly in eyes with small discs), if there were no other reasons other than glaucoma for the loss; and an optic disc hemorrhage, if there were no other causes for disc hemorrhages. If none of the absolute criteria were positive, at least two of the relative criteria had to be fulfilled.
Glaucomatous visual-field defect was defined as (1) a cluster of 3 points with probabilities less than 5% in at least 1 hemifield on the pattern deviation map, including at least 1 point with a probability less than 1% or a cluster of 2 points with a probability less than 1%; (2) glaucomatous Hemifield test results outside of the normal limits; or (3) a pattern standard deviation (PSD) beyond 95% of the normal limits, as confirmed by at least two reliable examinations (false-positive/negatives <15%, fixation losses <15%). Visual-field defects located in the central visual field that were correspondent with myopic macular change were not considered.
Eyes were diagnosed as highly myopic glaucoma if the following two conditions were met: glaucomatous-type optic disc appearance and the presence of glaucomatous visual-field defect. The highly myopic controls without glaucoma had an IOP ≤ 21 mm Hg, no IOP-elevation history, no glaucomatous-type optic disc appearance, and the absence of glaucomatous visual-field defects.