Optic Nerve Head Morphology and Visual Field Function in Patients with AIDS and without Infectious Retinitis

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate morphology of the optic nerve head and visual field in AIDS patients without retinitis.Methods: One randomly selected eye from 246 patients with AIDS without retinitis was evaluated from prospective multicenter Longitudinal Studies of Ocular Complications of AIDS. Stereo fundus photographs of OHN and serial VF data over 5-years were analyzed. Main outcomes included vertical cup-to-disc ratio (CDR), mean deviation, and pattern standard deviation scores on VF testing.Results: The median CDR was 0.39 at enrollment and 0.40 at 5-year follow-up. An unadjusted linear regression model revealed a mean change in CDR of 0.004 after 5-years (P = 0.04). After adjustment for practice effect, there were no statistically significant changes in VF performance observed during the 5 years of follow-up.Conclusions: We detected clinically minimal, but statistically significant changes in ONH morphology and no change in VF performance among eyes of patients with AIDS and without retinitis.