Perfusion of the optic nerve head and visual field damage in glaucomatous patients

Purpose: To examine the relation between perfusion of the optic nerve head and visual field defects in glaucomatous patients. Methods: A study was per formed on 94 patients affected with primary open-angle glaucoma. The optic nerve head blood flow was measured by means of a scanning laser Doppler flo wmeter (Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter). Blood volume, flow and velocity were analysed in two areas of the rim and in one area of the lamina cribrosa. Th e visual field was tested with the 30-2 full threshold white-on-white progr am and mean deviation (MD) and corrected pattern standard deviation (CPSD) were considered as parameters of visual field defects. Results: The interin dividual analysis showed that the vascular parameters of the neuroretinal r im circulation were not significantly correlated with visual field paramete rs. The blood volume, flow and velocity of lamina cribrosa correlated signi ficantly with both MD (R=0.519, R=0.549 and R=0.531, respectively; P<0.001) and CPSD (R=-0.496, R=-0.363 and R=-0.363, respectively; P<0.001). The int raindividual correlations (right-left differences of parameters) showed tha t the side differences of MD and CPSD correlated significantly with the sid e differences of blood volume. (R=0.511 and R=-0.477, respectively), flow ( R=0.554 and R=-0.390, respectively) and velocity (R=0.541 and R=-0.372, res pectively) in lamina cribrosa. Conclusion: These findings suggest that in g laucoma patients the perfusion parameters of lamina cribrosa are significan tly correlated with visual field defects.