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Retinal vessel diameter in normal-tension glaucoma patients with asymmetric progression

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology volume 252, pages 1795–1801 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the longitudinal changes in the central retinal vessel diameter in asymmetric progressive normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients.

Methods

This study included 27 patients with bilateral NTG without any systemic vascular disease who showed glaucomatous progression in one eye at the mean follow-up of 24.3 months (range, 18–29 months). Progression was determined by the development of new retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defects or widening of pre-existing defects on red-free RNFL photographs. The central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) and the central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) were measured at baseline and at the mean follow-up of 24.3 months. We classified the eyes of each patient as either progressed or stable eyes, and compared the differences and changes in the CRAE and CRVE.

Results

No significant inter-eye difference was observed at baseline in the mean CRAE (167.5 ± 22.2 μm vs. 168.2 ± 15.5 μm, p = 0.809) and in the mean CRVE (276.3 ± 18.2 μm vs. 281.6 ± 21.9 μm, p = 0.267) between the progressed and stable eyes. There were significant changes in CRAE in the progressed eyes between baseline and 2 years after baseline (from 167.5 ± 22.2 μm to 146.9 ± 18.0 μm, p < 0.0001), but there were no significant changes in the stable eyes (from 168.2 ± 15.5 μm to 167.5 ± 14.8 μm, p = 0.084).

Conclusions

In our series of NTG patients with asymmetric progression, central retinal artery diameter decreased over time in the progressed eyes, whereas no significant decrease in the central retinal artery diameter was seen in the stable eyes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Nicola Ferrier (University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Engineering and the Fundus Photograph Reading Center, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison) for granting permission to use the IVAN software.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors has any commercial or proprietary interests in any of the instruments and materials used in this work.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Tae-Eun Lee, Yong Yeon Kim & Chungkwon Yoo

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  1. Tae-Eun Lee
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Correspondence to Yong Yeon Kim.

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Lee, TE., Kim, Y.Y. & Yoo, C. Retinal vessel diameter in normal-tension glaucoma patients with asymmetric progression. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 252, 1795–1801 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-014-2756-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-014-2756-6

Keywords

  • Asymmetry
  • Normal-tension glaucoma
  • Retinal vessel diameter
  • Progression