The optic disc is the point inside the eye where the nerve that leads from the eye to the brain (optic nerve) leaves the eye. The inner part of the optic disc is a depression called the optic cup.
In people with glaucoma, nerve fibers die, causing a loss of the nerve tissue inside the optic disc. As a result, the size of the optic cup appears larger.
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise