Comparative study of retinal nerve fiber layer damage in Japanese patients with normal- and high-tension glaucoma.

Purpose To look for possible differences in the pattern of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) damage induced by normal- and high-tension glaucoma. Methods The study included randomly selected eyes from 27 patients with open-angle, high-tension glaucoma (mean age, 54.7 ± 15.0 years; range 21–74 years) and from 19 age-matched patients with normal-tension glaucoma (mean age, 55.7 ± 11.9 years; range 35–83 years). Eyes were examined using scanning laser polarimetry. Results The ratio between the superior and inferior quadrant thickness, or symmetry, was significantly lower in patients with high-tension glaucoma (1.00 ± 0.22) than in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (1.18 ± 0.32). Similarly, the ratio of the superior to the nasal quadrant thickness was significantly lower in patients with high-tension glaucoma (1.56 ± 0.38) than in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (1.80 ± 0.29). No statistically significant differences in the other parameters were detected between the two groups. Conclusion These results show that the pattern of RNFL change is different in patients with high- and low-tension glaucoma. The thickness of the RNFL is reduced symmetrically in the superior and inferior quadrants in high-tension glaucoma, whereas a more localized defect on the inferior RNFL occurs in normal-tension glaucoma.