Visual field defects in patients with normal-tension glaucoma and patients with high-tension glaucoma.

We compared the automated visual field test results of 24 patients with normal-tension glaucoma and 24 patients with high-tension glaucoma who were closely matched for the amount of visual field loss to determine any differences in the characteristics of visual field defects between the two groups. Patients were matched with a maximum allowable difference in mean deviation of 0.3 dB. Although the normal-tension group had a greater amount of focal visual field loss (pattern standard deviation), the difference was not statistically significant (P = .628). Additionally, there was no statistically significant difference in the amount of diffuse or focal visual field damage in the superior hemifields between the two groups; however, the patients with normal-tension glaucoma had a significantly greater amount of localized visual field loss in the inferior hemifield than the patients with high-tension glaucoma (P = .015). Our data support the hypothesis that a vascular mechanism may have a greater role in the pathogenesis of optic nerve damage and visual field loss in patients with normal-tension glaucoma than in patients with high-tension glaucoma.