If a patient has central visual field (VF) defects, it could  be a sign that they may also have disc hemorrhages, which should prompt clinicians to closely monitor these individuals with 10-2 fields to detect progression, a study in the Journal of Glaucoma suggests.

The prospective cohort investigation also found a link between disc hemorrhages and more severe central damage on 24-2 and 10-2 VFs and faster progression on 24-2 testing.

The team of researchers from Israel and the United States analyzed data from the African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study cohort, and two masked investigators reviewed disc photos for the presence and location of hemorrhages.

Disc hemorrhages were detected in 21 of 335 eyes (6.2%). In the cross-sectional analysis, hemorrhages were notably linked to more severe central damage on 24-2, with an incidence rate ratio of 1.47, and 10-2 VFs, with an incidence rate ratio of 1.8.

In the longitudinal analysis, disc hemorrhage eyes progressed faster than healthy eyes based on 24-2 and 10-2 rates, but not 24-2 central rates.