Case Series
Eye (2008) 22, 728–729; doi:10.1038/eye.2008.87; published online 4 April 2008
Tilted optic discs: The Beijing Eye Study
Proprietary interest: none.
Q S You1, L Xu1 and J B Jonas1,2
- 1Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- 2Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
Correspondence: L Xu and JB Jonas, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, 17 Hougou Street, Chong Wen Men, Beijing 100005, China. Tel: +49 621 383 2652; Fax: +49 621 383 3803; E-mail: Jost.Jonas@augen.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
Received 28 January 2008; Revised 19 February 2008; Accepted 19 February 2008; Published online 4 April 2008.
Abstract
Purpose
To determine the prevalence of tilted optic discs and their associations with ocular and general parameters.
Methods
The Beijing Eye Study included 4439 subjects out of 5324 subjects invited to participate (response rate 83.4% ) with an age of 40+ years. The present investigation consisted of 4324 (97.4% ) subjects for whom readable fundus photographs of at least one eye were available. The main outcome parameter was the presence of tilted optic discs defined as small discs with an oblique orientation and oval disc shape without signs of pathology in eyes without high myopia (defined as >- 8 D).
Results
Tilted optic discs were detected in 31 eyes (0.36; 95%
confidence interval: 0.23, 0.49%
) of 23 patients (16 women). Tilted discs were associated with myopia (-
6.59
0.68 D vs -
0.600.02 D, P<0.001), astigmatism (1.550.24 D vs 0.590.01 D, P<0.001), lower best corrected visual acuity (P<0.001), visual field defects (P<0.001), and small optic disc area (P<0.001).
Conclusions
Tilted optic discs are present in about four out of 1000 eyes of adult Chinese in Northern China. They are associated with medium myopia, astigmatism, decreased visual acuity, and visual field defects.
Keywords:
tilted optic disc, anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, disc drusen, optic nerve, astigmatism, visual field loss
