title: Defects Along Blood Vessels in Glaucoma Suspects and Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between small hypodense regions ("holes") in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) seen on circumpapillary optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of glaucoma patients and suspects and the paravascular inner retinal defects (PIRDs) seen with OCT line scans near blood vessels in individuals without optic nerve disease but with high myopia and/or epiretinal membranes (ERMs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Based upon the availability of wide-field, swept-source OCT scans, 19 eyes from 15 glaucoma patients or suspects were selected from a larger group of eyes with holes on circumpapillary frequency-domain OCT scans. Paravascular defects (PDs) were identified using en face slab images generated (ATL 3D-Suite) from 52-μm slabs just below the vitreal border of the inner limiting membrane by averaging reflective intensity. Paravascular defects were confirmed with B-scans from these images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 13 of the 19 eyes, the appearance of the PDs fit the previously described PIRDs and extended well beyond the circumpapillary region. In the other 6 eyes, the PDs were restricted to a small region and did not fit the previously described appearance of PIRDs. In these eyes, the holes were associated with an arcuate defect of the RNFL. Of the 13 with PIRDs, 9 had ERMs and/or high myopia previously associated with PIRDs in otherwise healthy eyes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Holes seen on circumpapillary OCT scans of glaucoma patients and suspects are associated with local glaucomatous damage, as well as with PIRDs associated with high myopia and ERMs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology Columbia University, New York, New York, United States 2Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Donald C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology Columbia University, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Cuir
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology Columbia University, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mavrommatis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology Columbia University, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Daiyan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology Columbia University, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.affiliation: Legacy Health, Legacy Research Institute, Portland, Oregon, United States.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reynaud
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ritch
authors.affiliation: Legacy Health, Legacy Research Institute, Portland, Oregon, United States.
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fortune
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*