Biomaterial Database

Optic disc haemorrhages precede retinal nerve fibre layer defects in ocular hypertension. 1981

P J Airaksinen, and E Mustonen, and H I Alanko

Both small splinter haemorrhages of the optic disc and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) defects have been reported to be the first signs of glaucomatous development before visual field defects. In this study their time- and location-based relationship to each other was investigated by means of repeated optic disc stereophotography of 25 patients who showed a disc haemorrhage but no disc and field involvement in their ocular hypertensive eyes. During a mean follow-up time of 6 years, 8 patients developed glaucomatous damage. Their sequential stereo-photographs showed that disc haemorrhages preceded both development and progression of RNFL defects. Location of a defect was accurately predicted by the haemorrhage. In 4 patients the first visual field defects were detected with routine perimetry only 1 to 2 years after the RNFL defects had been observed. Three patients still show normal fields.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009898	Optic Disk	The portion of the optic nerve seen in the fundus with the ophthalmoscope. It is formed by the meeting of all the retinal ganglion cell axons as they enter the optic nerve.	Blind Spot,Optic Disc,Optic Nerve Head,Optic Papilla,Blind Spots,Disc, Optic,Disk, Optic,Head, Optic Nerve,Nerve Head, Optic,Optic Discs,Optic Disks,Optic Nerve Heads,Optic Papillas,Papilla, Optic,Papillas, Optic,Spot, Blind
D010781	Photography	Method of making images on a sensitized surface by exposure to light or other radiant energy.	Photographies
D012164	Retinal Diseases	Diseases involving the RETINA.	Disease, Retinal,Diseases, Retinal,Retinal Disease
D005260	Female		Females
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D005901	Glaucoma	An ocular disease, occurring in many forms, having as its primary characteristics an unstable or a sustained increase in the intraocular pressure which the eye cannot withstand without damage to its structure or impairment of its function. The consequences of the increased pressure may be manifested in a variety of symptoms, depending upon type and severity, such as excavation of the optic disk, hardness of the eyeball, corneal anesthesia, reduced visual acuity, seeing of colored halos around lights, disturbed dark adaptation, visual field defects, and headaches. (Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)	Glaucomas
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly