Visibility of lamina cribrosa pores and open-angle glaucoma.

Abstract

To determine prevalence and associations of visible lamina cribrosa pores in an older population and assess whether this feature is associated with open-angle glaucoma (OAG). Case-control study nested within a large, population-based cross-sectional study. The Blue Mountains Eye Study examined 3654 persons (82.4% of permanent residents of a defined area) aged over 48 years. Stereo optic disk photographs were taken and graded reliably in a masked fashion. Lamina pore visibility was associated with larger vertical cup-disk ratio and optic disk diameter, hyperopic refraction, and male gender. Pores were slightly less visible with increasing age. They were visible in 70.8% of subjects with open-angle glaucoma but in only 29.3% of normals. This strong association disappeared after adjusting for other variables. Lamina cribrosa pores are commonly visible in glaucoma subjects and less commonly in normals. This association, however, is almost entirely because of an increased visibility associated with larger vertical cup-disk ratio and optic disk size.