What finding on funduscopic examination is typically associated with glaucoma?

Increased cup-to-disc ratio is a key finding in the examination of patients suspected to have glaucoma. The optic nerve head (also known as the optic disc) displays a distinctive appearance during a funduscopic examination. In individuals with glaucoma, damage to the retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve fibers results in the characteristic enlargement of the cup compared to the disc. This change signifies the loss of nerve fibers and is an early and important indicator of glaucomatous damage.

The cup-to-disc ratio is measured by comparing the diameter of the central cup, which is the depression in the optic nerve head, to the overall diameter of the disc. In a healthy eye, this ratio is typically less than 0.3; however, in patients with glaucoma, this ratio is often increased, indicating a progressive loss of the nerve fiber layer.

Other options, while related to various ocular pathologies, do not specifically indicate glaucoma. Optic disc atrophy could occur due to multiple factors, including longstanding glaucoma, but it is not a primary finding of the condition itself. Retinal detachment and macular degeneration refer to specific diseases affecting the retina and macula, respectively, and are not characteristics associated with the optic nerve changes seen in glaucoma. Understanding these associations