Optic Disc Hemorrhages

Abstract

• Examination of optic disc stereophotographs of 1,548 patients with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma revealed a disc hemorrhage in 112 cases. Multivariate analysis showed that disposition of hemorrhages on the disc is related to mean intraocular pressure, even lower levels of which increased probability of bleeding in inferior sectors, which showed hemorrhages more frequently than superior and horizontal sectors. Locations of hemorrhages correlated highly significantly with locations of neural rim notches. Predominance of large optic cups in eyes with normal central visual fields suggests that a genetically determined large cup may be a risk factor in addition to pathologic diurnal variation of IOP, which seemed more important than mean IOP in the development of hemorrhages. Capsular glaucoma was observed more seldom and low-tension glaucoma was observed more often than expected.