Does Glaucoma Share Common Pathogenesis with Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion?
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the observed prevalence and the optic nerve head (ONH) characteristics of normal tension glaucoma (NTG)-suspect eyes in branch retinal vein occulusion (BRVO) eyes in Korean population.


METHODS
This was a retrospective observational study. We investigated 445 BRVO eyes that were diagnosed in the retina clinic of Samsung Medical Center between March 2005 and December 2011. The observed prevalence of NTG-suspect in BRVO eyes was evaluated compared to the previous population based study. In addition, NTG-suspect cases in BRVO were divided into three groups based on the characteristics of optic disc morphology.


RESULTS
In 445 BRVO eyes, 30 eyes were excluded from the present study. In 415 BRVO eyes, 4.3% (18 eyes) (95% confident interval [CI], 2.4-6.3%) were diagnosed with suspect glaucoma and this is not significantly different from the result in the general Korean population (P = 0.09). We classified the NTG-suspect eyes into three groups such as disc rim notching and thinning type (Group 1; 55.6%), optic cup-sited hemorrhage type (Group 2; 16.7%) and disc rim thinning and pallor type (Group 3; 27.8%). NTG-suspect in the fellow eye were only found in group 1 (80%) and group 2 (67%), but not in group 3 (P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
BRVO and glaucoma seem to have no common vascular pathogenesis in consideration of the prevalence of NTG-suspect in BRVO eyes compared to general Korean population.
Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jong Chul
JC
Han
Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Doo Ri
DR
Eo
Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Taek Kwan
TK
Lee
Department of Ophthalmology, Busan National University Hospital, Busan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Jong Hoon
JH
Shin
Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Changwon
C
Kee
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity