To analyze the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in superior segmental optic hypoplasia (SSOH) patients and normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patients with inferior visual field defects using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Ten eyes of 10 patients with SSOH and 10 eyes of 10 patients with NTG were evaluated. The peripapillary RNFL thickness measured by OCT was compared between the 2 groups.

The mean RNFL thickness was not significantly different between SSOH patients (79.60 ± 12.54 µm) and NTG patients (77.10 ± 8.52 µm) ( p = 0.089). Among the quadrant parameters, there were no significant differences between the 2 groups ( p > 0.05). In a clock-hour analysis, the peripapillary RNFL thickness of the NTG group was significantly thicker than the SSOH group in 12, 1, and 2 o'clock ( p = 0.029, 0.007, 0.043, respectively). In contrast, the peripapillary RNFL thickness of the SSOH group was significantly thicker than the SSOH group in 6, and 7 o'clock ( p = 0.029, 0.007, respectively).

Peripapillary RNFL thickness in patients with SSOH was thinner than in those with NTG in the superonasal region, but thicker in the inferotemporal region indicating a different retinal nerve fiber defect pattern between the 2 diseases.