A recent study in Seoul has found that optic disc hemorrhage frequency in eyes of glaucoma patients can affect neuroretinal rim thickness as well as retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Researchers found eyes with disc hemorrhages were associated with the progression of thinning of the two.

The study evaluated 95 eyes of glaucoma patients with initial optic disc hemorrhage in the inferotemporal (n=69) and superotemporal (n=26) regions, and 48 eyes of glaucoma patients without disc hemorrhage. During follow-up, thinning rates of neuroretinal rim thickness (-5.69µm/year) and RNFL thickness -2.03µm/year) were significantly faster at 7 o’clock than at other locations. 

Disc hemorrhage frequency in the inferotemporal region was associated with the thinning rate of the two. Researchers also found that dynamic range–based normalized rate of thinning was significantly faster for RNFL thickness (-2.06%/year) than for rim thickness (-1.15%/year) in eyes with optic disc hemorrhage but not eyes without them.

They concluded that disc hemorrhage frequency can affect progression of neuroretinal and RNFL thickness.