[Pits of the optic papilla in large optic nerve papillae. Papillometric characteristics in 15 eyes]

Abstract

Fifteen optic nerve heads with pits measured by optic disk planimetry according to Littmann and Jaeger's method were significantly larger than previously determined normal optic nerve heads. Their area measured 4.84 +/- 1.42 mm2 (2.77-8.02 mm2), their horizontal diameter 2.42 +/- 0.42 mm (1.76-3.38 mm) and their vertical diameter 2.53 +/- 0.30 mm (1.14-3.06 mm). The quotients of minimum to maximum diameter and the angle between the maximum diameter and the horizontal line were similar to those in normal optic disks. Because of their enlarged area but normal form this pathologic entity forms a subunit of macrodisks. The pits were located in 14 optic disks on the temporal side on average 100 degrees from the upper disk pole, and in two optic disks on the nasal side about 85 degrees from the upper pole. In two cases they were double and in one bilateral. Their area and number were significantly correlated (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.05) to the area of the optic disk. With increasing optic nerve head size the optic cup was less excavated. The largest optic disk seen in this study did not have one at all. There might be a stepless continuation from normal-sized optic disks to macrodisks with physiologic macrocups and to optic nerve heads with pits. These represent a maximum extreme in the spectrum of optic disk anomalies and diseases associated with optic nerve head size.