title: Comparison of the progression rates of the superior, inferior, and both hemifield defects in normal-tension glaucoma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the progression rates of superior and inferior hemifield defects and each hemifield in bihemifield defects in normal-tension glaucoma patients and to compare the progression rates of each hemifield between groups in eyes with similar baseline hemifield defects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, observational cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of 142 normal-tension glaucoma patients who performed more than 5 reliable standard visual field tests with superior (group 2; n = 51), inferior (group 1; n = 44), or both hemifield (group 3; n = 47) defects were analyzed retrospectively. The changes in the mean thresholds of the 10 zones of the glaucoma hemifield test and the entire hemifield were inspected. A linear mixed effect model was used with age, gender, initial intraocular pressure, mean deviation, and pattern standard deviation controlled.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in age and systemic and ocular factors between groups except for female gender, which showed a significant difference among the 3 groups (P = .032). The progression rate in group 2 was significantly faster than in group 1 (-0.713 dB/year vs -0.516 dB/year; P = .019), especially in central and nasal zones or than in the superior hemifield of group 3 (-0.717 dB/year vs -0.470 dB/year; P = .001). There was no significant difference in the progression rates between group 1 and the inferior hemifield in group 3 (-0.508 dB/year vs -0.441 dB/year; P = .312) or between the superior and inferior hemifields in group 3 (-0.468 dB/year vs -0.442 dB/year; P = .662).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More careful examination and caution is required in the treatment of normal-tension glaucoma patients with superior hemifield defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Changwon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kee
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015784:Betaxolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068438:Brimonidine Tartrate; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D000077338:Latanoprost; D057066:Low Tension Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic; D011810:Quinoxalines; D000068438:Brimonidine Tartrate; D000077338:Latanoprost; D015784:Betaxolol