Pairwise comparisons of peripapillary crescents and haloes were performed for 56 eyes of 28 patients with early or moderate unilateral capsular glaucoma and no signs of exfoliation in the contralateral eye. The eyes differed highly significantly in rim area, rim/disc area ratio, cup area, and cup volume. They did not differ in disc areas, scleral ring areas, or size of peripapillary crescents. In the nonglaucomatous and glaucomatous eyes a significant correlation existed between the intraocular pressure (IOP) and the area of peripapillary atrophy. The area of peripapillary atrophy was significantly correlated with the damage to the glaucomatous optic nerve head. We concluded that the area of peripapillary atrophy is largely an inborn feature, and that nerve fiber loss can occur without differences in the peripapillary tissues. Nevertheless, an IOP-induced change in the retinal pigment epithelium cannot be ruled out.