The Relationship between Intraocular Pressure and Optic Nerve Structural and Functional Damage in Patients with Optic Nerve Head Drusen

• Published in: Neuro-ophthalmology (Amsterdam : Aeolus Press. 1980) Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 290 - 293
• Main Authors: Oliveira-Ferreira, Cláudia, Leuzinger-Dias, Mariana, Tavares-Ferreira, João, Faria, Olinda, Falcão-Reis, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.09.2020
• Subjects: intraocular pressure; Optic nerve head drusen; Original; retinal nerve fibre layer; visual field; visual field; Optic nerve head drusen; intraocular pressure; retinal nerve fibre layer
• ISSN: 0165-8107; 1744-506X
• DOI: 10.1080/01658107.2019.1691242

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate if, in ocular normotensive patients, at the time of diagnosis of optic nerve head drusen (ONHD), perimetric mean deviation (PMD) on visual field (VF) examination and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness on optical coherence tomography correlated with intraocular pressure (IOP). There was a significant association between IOP and PMD (Spearman's rho = −0.863, p < .01) and between IOP and RNFL thickness (Spearman's rho = −0.630, p < .01). A higher IOP was associated with a greater functional loss in the VF and a reduction in the RNFL thickness. These results suggest that a clinical trial of IOP reduction should be considered in patients with ONHD to decrease the progression of optic nerve damage over time.