Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between glaucoma severity, ocular pulse amplitude (OPA), and hemodynamic variables.
Methods: Thirty-one Asymmetric primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) cases (one eye with better MD, fellow eye with worst MD) who applied to the glaucoma outpatient clinic of Gulhane Military Medical Faculty Hospital between January 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007, were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients using beta-blockers or alpha-adrenergic agonists were excluded. The patients went on using glaucoma medications. Asymmetricity was assessed if a visual field means deviation (MD) difference ≥6 decibels existed between the eyes. Mean MD and pattern standard deviation, diurnal OPA, and intraocular pressure( IOP) (7 am, 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm, 9 pm,11 pm, 1 am, 4 am), central corneal thickness, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), PSV/EDV, pulsatility index (PI), resistivity index (RI) for internal carotid artery and ophthalmic artery were measured with color Doppler ultrasonography.
Results: The differences in mean diurnal IOP and mean diurnal OPA between the eyes were statistically insignificant. Each diurnal IOP and OPA values and coefficient of variability of diurnal IOP and OPA were statistically insignificant between the groups. There was no significant difference in PSV, EDV, PSV/EDV, PI, and RI between the better-MD and worse-MD eyes. The correlations between mean IOP/mean OPA, and each diurnal IOP/OPA values were insignificant.
Conclusion: These results suggest that ocular hemodynamics are affected after a critical point in the evolution of glaucoma. The severity of glaucoma is not directly related to pulsatile ocular blood flow.