COLOR DOPPLER IMAGING IN UNTREATED HIGH-PRESSURE AND NORMAL-PRESSURE OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA

Purpose. To evaluate ocular blood ilo rv velocity indices in untreated primal-Ii open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal pressure glaucoma (NP G). Methods. Twenty-five untreated patients with NFG, 23 untreated pat ients with POAG, and 26 age-matched normal control subjects underwent color Doppler imaging for the measurement of blood flow velocity in th e central retinal and ophthalmic arteries, Neither tile patients nor t he control subjects were using systemic beta-blockers or calcium chann el blockers. After log transformation of non-normal data, group differ ences were compared with a one-way analysis of variance followed hy un paired t-tests with the Bonferroni correction. Statistical significanc e was set at P < 0.95. Results, The central retinal artery end diastol ic velocity was significantly lower in patients with POAG than in norm al subjects. The ophthalmic artery peak systolic velocity (PSV) was si gnificantly greater in patients with POAG than in those with NPG and n ormal subjects, The resistance index (RI) of both tile ophthalmic and central retinal arteries was significantly greater in patients with PO AG than in normal subjects, and the central retinal artery RI was sign ificantly greater in those with NPG than in normal subjects. Systemic purse pressure and systolic blood pressure were significantly greater in patients with POAG compared with normal subjects. Multiple regressi on analysis showed a significant relation between ophthalmic artery PS V and intraocular pressure (but not with any of the cardiovascular par ameters) in the POAG group. Chi-square analysis found significantly mo re systemic vascular disease in patients with NPG and POAG compared wi th that of normal subjects. Conclusions. There was an increased resist ance to blood flow in the central retinal artery of untreated patients with NPG and POAG and also in tile ophthalmic artery of patients with POAG. The ophthalmic artery peak systolic velocity was elevated in un treated patients with POAG. Altered ocular circulation with different patterns of presentation) apl?ears to be common to patients with NPG a nd patients with POAG.