What does cupping of the optic disc mean?

Cupped disc. The cupping of the optic nerve means the size of the depression in the middle of the nerve when viewed from the front of the eye. When there is damage to the optic nerve, the cupping increases.

What is cupping glaucoma?

In people with glaucoma damage, because of increased pressure in the eye and/or loss of blood flow to the optic nerve, these nerve fibers begin to die. This causes the cup to become larger in comparison to the optic disc, since the support structure is not there.

What is cup and disc in eye?

The cup-to-disc ratio (often notated CDR) is a measurement used in ophthalmology and optometry to assess the progression of glaucoma. The optic disc is the anatomical location of the eye’s “blind spot”, the area where the optic nerve and blood vessels enter the retina.

What is open angle glaucoma?

Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of the disease. The drainage angle formed by the cornea and iris remains open, but the trabecular meshwork is partially blocked. This causes pressure in the eye to gradually increase. This pressure damages the optic nerve.

What is the Cup to disc ratio for open angle glaucoma?

Because open-angle glaucoma is a chronic disease, these printouts are tracked over the long term. FIGURE 3. The cup-to-disc ratio of this optic nerve is approximately 0.6. Clinical correlation with the patient’s history and examination is required to decide if this optic nerve is abnormal.

Can a person with glaucoma have optic nerve cupping?

Optic nerve cupping progresses as the cup becomes larger in comparison to the optic disc. Both people with and without optic nerve damage have optic nerve cupping, although those with glaucoma tend to have a greater cup-to-disc ratio. A cup to disc ratio greater than six-tenths is generally considered to be suspicious for glaucoma.

When do you see cupping of the disc in glaucoma?

In glaucoma, the inferior and superior rims are affected first. 3 As the rims become thinner, you will see cupping of the disc – an increased cup to disc (C/D) ratio. There is not a specific C/D ratio that is diagnostic of glaucoma.

What do you need to know about open angle glaucoma?

Open-angle glaucoma generally is a bilateral disease, although it often is asymmetric. 2, 4 Damage in one eye significantly increases the risk of subsequent damage in the other eye. 2 Progressive optic nerve cupping is a manifestation of progressive optic nerve death 12 and uncontrolled glaucoma.