Color Doppler imaging of short paraoptic ciliary arteries in vascular glaucoma

Purpose : To study color Doppler imaging in orbital vessels, especially par aoptic short ciliary arteries, in patients with vascular glaucoma. Patients and methods: Twenty vascular normal or moderate elevated pressure glaucoma patients (6 with bilateral glaucoma, 9 with unilateral glaucoma et 5 with asymetric glaucoma) underwent a color Doppler imaging (Accusson 128 XP) in orbital arteries. common carotid, ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, short paraoptic ciliary arteries. Systolic and diastolic blood flo w velocities were mesured, and resistance index of Pourcelot and ratios bet ween different parameters were calculated. Results : In patients with unilateral glaucoma, ratios of systolic velociti es between paraoptic ciliary artery and common carotid, and ratio of Pource lot index between paraoptic ciliary artery and ophthalmic artery were incra sed in glaucomatous eyes. And Pourcelot index were statistically significan t increased in all glaucomatous patients of the study compared with normal subjects. Discussion and conclusion : Comparaison of Pourcelot index and ratios betwe en parameters makes color Doppler imaging more reliable, especially when an alyse short paraoptic ciliary arteries, which vascularize optic nerve. In t hese arteries Pourcelot index was increased in vascular glaucoma patients. Vascular risk factor should be taken into consideration in this form of gla ucoma.