Axial myopia is associated with visual field prognosis of primary open-angle glaucoma

Purpose: To identify whether myopia was associated with the visual field (VF) progression of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: A total of 270 eyes of 270 POAG followed up for more than 3 years with ≥9 reliable VFs by Octopus perimetry were retrospectively reviewed. Myopia was divided into: mild myopia (-2.99 diopter [D], 0), moderate myopia (-5.99, 3.00 D), marked myopia (-9.00, -6.00 D) and non-myopia (0 D or more). An annual change in the mean defect (MD) slope >0.22 dB/y and 0.30 dB/y was defined as fast progression, respectively. Logistic regression was performed to determine prognostic factors for VF progression. Results: For the cutoff threshold at 0.22 dB/y, logistic regression showed that vertical cup-to-disk ratio (VCDR; p = 0.004) and the extent of myopia (p = 0.002) were statistically significant. When logistic regression was repeated after excluding the extent of myopia, axial length (AL; p = 0.008, odds ratio [OR] = 0.796) reached significance, as did VCDR (p = 0.001). Compared to eyes with AL≤23 mm, the OR values were 0.334 (p = 0.059), 0.309 (p = 0.044), 0.266 (p = 0.019), 0.260 (p = 0.018), respectively, for 23 26 mm. The significance of vertical cup-to-disk ratio of (p = 0.004) and the extent of myopia (p = 0.008) did not change for the cutoff threshold at 0.30dB/y. Conclusions: VCDR and myopia were associated with VF prognosis of POAG. Axial myopia may be a protective factor against VF progression.