Structure function relationships differ between optic neuritis and glaucoma with comparable optical coherence tomography findings.
Optic neuritis preserves visual field function better than glaucoma despite similar nerve damage.
Structure function relationships differ between optic neuritis and glaucoma with comparable optical coherence tomography findings.
This retrospective study compared structure-function relationships between patients with optic neuritis (optic neuritis) and primary open-angle glaucoma (primary open-angle glaucoma), focusing on the extent of retinal nerve fiber layer (retinal nerve fiber layer) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer) damage and its correlation with visual field (visual field) defects.
We included 194 patients (optic neuritis: 47; primary open-angle glaucoma: 147) referred to Yonsei University Severance Eye Hospital between 2017 and 2023.
optic neuritis kept side vision much sharper than glaucoma did
In primary open-angle glaucoma, visual field loss was strongly correlated with structural parameters, whereas in optic neuritis, visual field remained preserved even at low retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer values.
Linear regression with robust error estimation confirmed significant interaction between disease type and structure-function slopes (p < 0.01).
The differences in structure-function relationships underscore the importance of disease-specific diagnostic approaches and unraveling the distinct mechanisms underlying optic neuritis and primary open-angle glaucoma to improve the management of visual impairments.