Optical coherence tomographic findings of glaucomatous eyes with papillomacular retinoschisis

Abstract

Objectives To investigate the topographic relationship between the shape of the optic nerve head (ONH) margin detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the clinical characteristics of papillomacular retinoschisis (PMRS) in glaucomatous eyes. Methods The medical record of patients with a PMRS in a glaucomatous eye were reviewed. The eyes were placed into two groups determined by the shape of the ONH margin in the OCT images; eyes with an externally oblique ONH margin (Group 1) and the eyes with an internally oblique ONH margin (Group 2). We compared the clinical characteristics of the PMRS between these two groups. Results We studied 31 eyes of 29 patients with PMRS and glaucoma with 24 eyes in Group 1 and 7 eyes in Group 2. The optic nerve fiber layer schisis on the lamina cribosa (LC), beta zone, and gamma zone, and the LC defects were detected significantly more frequently in Group 1 than in Group 2 eyes (P < 0.05). A retinal nerve fiber schisis was observed around the ONH significantly more frequently in Group 2 than Group 1 eyes (P < 0.01). Conclusion These findings suggest that the PMRS in Group 1 eyes develops most likely around the LC defects while the PMRS in Group 2 eyes develops most likely from the optic nerve fiber layer around the ONH.