Increased disk size in glaucomatous eyes vs normal eyes in the Reykjavik eye study.

Abstract

To evaluate the use of disk diameter as an indicator in the identification of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. We evaluated all available stereofundus photographs for 1,040 right eyes obtained in the Reykjavik Eye Study. Horizontal and vertical disk diameters were determined in a masked manner by a glaucoma specialist (K.F.D.). All disk diameters were corrected for refractive error. There were significant differences (P <.05) between the corrected vertical disk diameters of normal subjects (0.189 +/- 0.018 inches) and those suspected of having glaucoma (0.202 +/- 0.020 inches) as well as between the normal and the glaucoma groups (0.206 +/- 0.029 inches). The corrected horizontal measurement showed the same pattern. In the Reykjavik Eye Study, optic disks meeting structural criteria for glaucoma are significantly larger than normal nerves.