Abstract

Retinal ganglion cell axons form the innermost layer of the retina known as the nerve fiber layer. These axons converge to form the optic nerve, which transmits the visual image from the eye to the brain. In glaucoma, there is damage to these nerve fibers as they leave the eye through the lamina cribrosa, a fenestrated network of connective tissue. In the retina, the nerve fibers spread out in a thin layer creating a characteristic fingerprint. It is likely that loss of even a few axons can alter the fingerprint and be observed in the retinal nerve fiber layer when appropriate techniques are used.

© 1991 Optical Society of America