Comparison of Lamina Cribrosa Morphology in Normal Tension Glaucoma and Autosomal-Dominant Optic Atrophy

PURPOSE: To compare lamina cribrosa (LC) morphology in patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and autosomal-dominant optic atrophy (ADOA). METHODS: This cross-sectional study matched 24 patients diagnosed with ADOA (24 eyes) by age and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness with 48 patients diagnosed with NTG (48 eyes) by age with 48 healthy controls (48 eyes). Optic nerve heads were scanned by enhanced-depth imaging (EDI) optical coherence tomography (OCT). The LC curvature index (LCCI) and LC depth (LCD) on B-scan images obtained using EDI-OCT were measured at seven locations spaced equidistantly across the vertical optic disc diameter and compared among the NTG, ADOA, and control groups. RESULTS: Mean LCCI and LCD were significantly greater in NTG than in ADOA and healthy eyes (P < 0.001 each) but did not differ significantly in ADOA and healthy eyes. CONCLUSIONS: NTG eyes have a more posteriorly curved and deeper LC than ADOA and healthy eyes. This finding provides insight into the role of LC morphology in NTG and provides a clinical clue to distinguish between NTG and ADOA.