Nasal displacement of retinal vessels on the optic disc in glaucoma associated with a nasally angled passage through lamina cribrosa

Abstract

To investigate nasal displacement of central retinal vessel (CRV) on the optic nerve head (ONH) in glaucoma in association with its passage through lamina cribrosa (LC). This cross-sectional study included 113 eyes with glaucoma and 60 normal eyes. Horizontal spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) scans of the ONH were acquired, and point where CRV emerged on the ONH surface was defined as the position of the CRV. Next, radial scans of the ONH were acquired, and angle of the CRV passing through the LC was measured. These parameters were compared between glaucomatous and normal eyes by t-test, and their relationship with possible confounders was assessed by multiple regression analyses. In glaucoma, CRV was significantly more nasally displaced than it was in normal eyes (66.0 ± 8.6 vs. 54.3 ± 9.5, P < 0.0001), and eyes with more vessel displacement exhibited significantly worse glaucomatous visual field defects (P = 0.0004). Greater nasal displacement of the CRV was significantly associated with a more nasally angled path through the LC (rs = 0.569, P < 0.0001). By using SD-OCT, we confirmed that nasal displacement of the CRV on the ONH was associated with glaucoma and was induced by its nasally angled path through the LC.