Anisocoria in untreated unilateral open-angle glaucoma.
In 20 consecutive cases of untreated, unilateral open-angle glaucoma (7 primary open-angle glaucoma and 13 pseudoexfoliation glaucoma) it was found that the pupil of the glaucomatous eye was always smaller than the pupil of the contralateral clinically seemingly non-glaucomatous eye. The difference in pupil areas ranged between 0.4 and 40.2% of that of the normal eye. The pupil areas were assessed by planimetry, and when the pupils were compared visually from photographs anisocoria was detected in 65% of the cases. There was no correlation between the degree of anisocoria and the magnitude of intraocular pressure elevation, the extent of the visual field defect or the type of glaucoma. No definite explanation for the anisocoria can be offered. The phenomenon might hypothetically be due to degenerative processes of the ciliary nerves similar to the degenerative changes in the optic nerve in glaucoma.
D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D011680:Pupil / Q000502:physiology*