Comparison of peripapillary vessel density between preperimetric and perimetric glaucoma evaluated by OCT-angiography.

<h4>Purpose</h4>To determine peripapillary vessel density in eyes with perimetric glaucoma (PG) or preperimetric glaucoma (PPG) compared to normal controls using optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A).<h4>Methods</h4>We recruited 13 patients with unilateral perimetr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Si Bum Kim, Eun Jung Lee, Jong Chul Han, Changwon Kee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0184297&type=printable
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Summary:<h4>Purpose</h4>To determine peripapillary vessel density in eyes with perimetric glaucoma (PG) or preperimetric glaucoma (PPG) compared to normal controls using optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A).<h4>Methods</h4>We recruited 13 patients with unilateral perimetric normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and fellow preperimetric NTG showing only inferotemporal retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defect in red-free RNFL photography in both eyes. We also enrolled 9 healthy controls. Using OCT-A, radial peripapillary capillary densities at inferotemporal and superotemporal regions were evaluated. Paired comparison of peripapillary vessel density was performed for PG eye, PPG eye, and normal eye.<h4>Results</h4>A total of 26 eyes of the 13 patients with unilateral PG and fellow PPG eyes and 18 eyes of 9 normal controls were analyzed. Vessel densities at the whole peripapillary region and inferotemporal region in PG eyes were significantly lower than those in PPG eyes (P = 0.001, P<0.001, respectively). Comparison between PPG and normal eyes showed no significant difference in the whole peripapillary region or the inferotemporal region (P = 0.654, P = 0.174, respectively). There was no significant (P = 0.288) difference in vessel density at superotemporal region among the three types of eyes (PG eye, PPG eye, and normal eye).<h4>Conclusion</h4>PPG eyes and normal eyes were found to have the similar densities of peripapillary microvasculature at the area with nerve fiber layer defect, whereas in PG eye, there was a significant decrease in vessel density at the area of RNFL thinning. This provides evidence that microvascular compromise in the retina might be a secondary change to nerve fiber layer degeneration in the pathogenesis of NTG.
ISSN:1932-6203