The importance of disc hemorrhage in the prognosis of chronic open angle glaucoma.

The progression of field damage of 48 eyes with chronic simple glaucoma and a splinter hemorrhage on the disc was compared with that of 48 chronic simple glaucoma eyes without hemorrhage. The incidence of visual field progression was substantially higher among those with a hemorrhage. Similar visual field progression was substantially higher in 29 eyes with elevated introcular pressure and a disc hemorrhage when compared with 29 ocular hypertensive patients with no hemorrhage. The prognostic importance of a disc hemorrhage is discussed.