Association between peripheral visual field defects and focal lamina cribrosa defects in highly myopic eyes.

PURPOSE

We aimed to identify peripheral visual field (VF) defect pathogenesis in high myopia using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and microperimetry and to investigate the association between focal lamina cribrosa defects (fLCDs) and high myopia-specific peripheral visual field defects (HM-pVFDs).

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective case-control study.

METHODS

Thirty-five highly myopic patients (refractive error ≥ 8.0 D or axial length > 26.5 mm) with an HM-pVFD, diagnosed using the V-4 isopter in Goldmann perimetry, and 35 age- and 35 sex-matched controls were studied. The optic nerve head (ONH) morphology was analyzed by use of OCT; retinal light sensitivities around the ONH were evaluated by use of microperimetry. The main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), axial length (AL), refractive error, intraocular pressure (IOP), the OCT findings, and the microperimetry findings.

RESULTS

The BCVA, AL, IOP, and refractive error did not differ significantly between the patient and the control groups. Of the 35 eyes with an HM-pVFD, twenty-four had fLCDs detected by use of OCT, one showed no evidence of fLCDs, and ten had inadequate images due to excessive ONH tilting. Of the 35 control eyes, two had fLCDs, twenty-eight showed no evidence of fLCDs, and five had inadequate images. The peripapillary retinal light sensitivity was decreased in 29 of the 35 eyes with an HM-pVFD; no such decrease was noted in 30 of the 35 control eyes. Peripheral VF abnormality detection by use of microperimetry had 82.9% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate an important relationship between HM-pVFDs and fLCDs, suggesting fLCD involvement in peripheral VF abnormality pathogenesis in highly myopic patients. Furthermore, microperimetry is reproducible for evaluating HM-pVFDs.