Assessment of optic disk blood flow in patients with open-angle glaucoma

PURPOSE: To characterize optic disk blood flow in patients with open-angle glaucoma compared with age-matched healthy control subjects. METHODS: In this prospective cross sectional study, 90 eyes of 90 patients with open-angle glaucoma and 61 eyes of 61 age-matched healthy control subj ects were evaluated, Flow in the optic disk cup and the neuroretinal rim we re assessed with scanning laser Doppler flowmetry, Fundus pulsation amplitu de in the cup and the macula were assessed with laser interferometry, Visua l field mean deviation was measured with the Humphrey 30 to 2 program. RESULTS: Flow in the neuroretinal rim (-18%, P = .002), and in the cup (-46 %, P < .001) and fundus pulsation amplitude in the cup (-33%, P < .001) and in the macula (-24%, P < .001) were significantly lower in patients with o pen angle glaucoma compared with healthy control subjects. A significant as sociation between blood flow measurements in the cup and fundus pulsation a mplitudes in the cup was observed in both study cohorts. A significant asso ciation was also observed between the mean defect from visual field testing and ocular hemodynamic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced optic disk perfusion in patients with open angle glauc oma is evidenced from two independent methods in the present study. Moreove r, our data indicate that reduced ocular blood flow in these patients is li nked to visual field changes, It remains to be established whether compromi sed optic disk and choroidal blood flow contributes to optic disk damage in glaucomatous eyes or is a secondary functional phenomenon. (C) 2000 by Els evier Science Inc, All rights reserved.