To evaluate whether various types of chronic open-angle glaucoma differ in predictive factors for progression of glaucomatous optic nerve damage.

Observational cohort study.

setting: Prospective observational clinical study. patients: 517 eyes of 300 Caucasian patients with chronic open-angle glaucoma with elevated intraocular pressure (primary open-angle glaucoma, n = 289; secondary open-angle glaucoma, n = 50) and with normal intraocular pressure (n = 178). observation procedure: During follow-up (median: 49 months, 6 months-130 months), all patients underwent repeated evaluation of color stereo optic disk photographs and white-on-white visual field examination. main outcome measures: Progression of glaucoma was defined as neuroretinal rim loss during the study period.

For patients with elevated intraocular pressure, significantly predictive factors for eventual progression were older age, advanced perimetric damage, smaller neuroretinal rim, and larger area of β zone of parapapillary atrophy. In contrast, in the normal intraocular pressure group, a significant predictive factor was presence of disk hemorrhages at baseline. Within the patients with elevated intraocular pressure, the primary open-angle glaucoma group and the secondary open-angle glaucoma group did not differ in predictive factors for progression of glaucoma.

Open-angle glaucoma patients with normal intraocular pressure and open-angle glaucoma patients with elevated intraocular pressure differ in predictive factors for eventual progression of glaucomatous optic nerve damage. It may have clinical importance and may be helpful in the discussion of the pathogenesis of the glaucomas.