Topography study reveals nerve head thickness greater in angle-closure eyes

NUSA DUA, Indonesia — A study examining the topography of the optic nerve head found greater thickness in rim volume and area in eyes with primary angle-closure glaucoma than normal eyes, according to a researcher here.

"Between the primary angle-closure glaucoma eyes and the normative eyes, the rim area and rim volume were significantly larger in the primary angle-closure glaucoma eyes, particularly in the nasal side of the optic head," Goji Tomita, MD, said here at the joint meeting of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Tomita presented the results of a study measuring the optic nerve head with the Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph II on 28 eyes of 28 patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma and 12 eyes of 12 patients with normal eyes matched for age, refractive error and optic disc area.

The nerve area was found to be 1.5 mm² ± 0.32 in the angle-closure group and 1.22 mm2 ± 0.32 in the normative eyes. Rim volume was 0.37 mm³ ± 0.10 in the angle-closure eyes compared with 0.27 mm³ ± 0.10 in the normative eyes, Dr. Tomita showed.

"In primary angle-closure eyes, dimensions of the optic nerve head may be different from those of normative eyes," Dr. Tomita said.