VISUAL-FIELD CORRELATIONS WITH COLOR DOPPLER STUDIES IN OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA

Purpose: This study was designed to assess the correlation between flo w velocity, the resistive index and visual field defects in patients w ith chronic open angle glaucoma in comparison with a nonglaucomatous c ontrol population. Methods: Color Doppler imaging was used to study fl ow velocity in the central retinal artery and short posterior ciliary arteries of 76 patients with chronic open angle glaucoma and 28 normal subjects. Velocity and resistive index were correlated with visual fi eld abnormalities. Results: The chronic open angle glaucoma patients s howed a statistically significant lowering of the end diastolic veloci ty and a raised resistive index in all vessels studied. The end diasto lic velocity of the central retinal arteries of glaucoma patients were significantly correlated with the Mean Deviation of the visual field (right eye, p = 0.0041;left eye, p = 0.0167). The glaucoma patients sh owed a statistically significant lowering of the end diastolic velocit y and a raised resistive index in all vessels supplying those parts of the optic disc that corresponded to visual hemifield defects. Conclus ion: Open angle glaucoma is associated with changes in central retinal and ciliary artery flow velocity and resistive index which suggest a compromised circulation in this region.