Specificity of fluorescein angiographic defects of the optic disc in glaucoma
E. Talusan and B. Schwartz
Fluorescein angiography of the optic disc was performed on normal subjects,
patients with nonmyopic open-angle glaucoma dna myopic open-angle glaucoma,
normal myopes, patients with optic atrophy due to chiasmal pituitary
tumors, and patients with sectorial ischemic optic neuropathy due to
vascular hypotension. The normal myopes, those with optic atrophy secondary
to pituitary tumor, and the ischemic optic neuropathy group had optic discs
similar in appearance to those with open-angle glaucoma. Absolute
fluorescein filling defects occurred only in patients with open-angle
glaucoma and sectorial ischemic optic neuropathy. The filling defects in
open-angle glaucoma appear to be specific, indicating that the blood supply
to the anterior portion of the optic nerve is involved, as in ischemic
optic neuropathy. Fluorescein angiography of the optic disc may be useful
to differentiate open-angle glaucoma from other entities that have similar
optic discs.
