Changes in the optic disc over a five-year interval: the Beaver Dam Eye Study.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship of change in vertical optic disc cupping to change in intraocular pressure over a five-year interval.
METHODS: Non-simultaneous stereoscopic photographs were taken of optic discs of participants in the baseline and follow-up examinations of The Beaver Dam Eye Study cohort. Optic discs and cups were measured and other disc features were graded according to a standard protocol by trained graders. Intraocular pressures were measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry.
RESULTS: Change in pressure was significantly associated with change in vertical cup-to-disc ratio. Incident disc hemorrhage, flattened temporal rim, notching, cup reaching disc margin, and undercutting were not significantly associated with change in intraocular pressure.
CONCLUSION: Change in intraocular pressure in this adult population was associated with increased optic disc cupping. This finding, if confirmed, would lend support to the practice of periodic follow-up of older adults who have shown changes in their intraocular pressure.