Abstract
Purpose :
To characterize differences in the lamina cribrosa (LC) curvature between healthy, ocular hypertensive (OHT), and naïve normal-tension glaucomatous (NTG) eyes, and to determine the factors associated with the LC curvature in each group.
Methods :
In this observational case–control study, each group was consisted of 40 eyes of 40 participants who were matched for age, sex, and axial length. The participants underwent enhanced-depth-imaging volume scanning of the optic nerve head using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The LC curvature index (LCCI) was measured in horizontal B-scan images in seven planes spaced equidistantly across the vertical diameter of the optic disc.
Results :
The LCCIs in all seven planes were smaller in both OHT and healthy eyes than in NTG eyes (all P<0.001), and did not differ significantly between the OHT and healthy eyes. In healthy and OHT eyes, a larger average LCCI was associated with a larger untreated intraocular pressure (IOP) (P<0.001 and P=0.002, respectively) and a shorter axial length (P=0.014 and P=0.013, respectively) in the multivariate analysis. In NTG eyes, only untreated IOP was associated with the average LCCI (P=0.023).
Conclusions :
The LC curvature was greater in NTG eyes than in healthy and OHT eyes, and did not differ between healthy and OHT eyes. These findings imply that the development of glaucomatous damage is more closely related to the degree of LC deformation than the measured IOP.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.