Characteristics of manifest glaucoma at early stages.

Intraocular pressures and optic disc hemorrhages were studied in all cases of manifest glaucoma detected in a defined population over a decade. High intraocular pressure was found to be an unreliable sign at the detection of a glaucomatous visual field defect and an unusual finding 5-10 years before. The prevalence of optic disc hemorrhages at the detection of a glaucomatous visual field defect was 33%. All but 9 of 44 persons with manifest glaucoma were found to have had at least one optic disc hemorrhage at one time or another.