Comparison of retinal microvascular changes in eyes with high-tension glaucoma or normal-tension glaucoma: a quantitative optic coherence tomography angiographic study

Abstract

The retinal perfused vessel density is significantly reduced in HTG and NTG eyes, and more prominently in the peripapillary region in NTG eyes.

Correlation between Basal Macular Circulation and Following Glaucomatous Damage in Progressed High-Tension and Normal-Tension Glaucoma

“…While comparing OCTA examination to traditional methods, previous studies have demonstrated that OCTA is a reliable tool for the analysis of retinal vasculature, similar to fluorescein angiography [21, 22], and that the retinal vasculature layers can be imaged more precisely compared to fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography [23, 24]. With regard to glaucoma, HTG, after evaluation by OCTA, showed decreased peripapillary vessels that correlate with the RNFL and VF defects and impaired macular VD [9, 14, 17, 18, 25-28], while the OCTA evaluation in NTG subjects showed similar results and precision in the peripapillary and macular vasculature [10, 15, 17, 18, 29]. In addition, the spilt-layer function of OCTA can appropriately separate the different retinal layers and analyze each vasculature in more detail than the traditional approach [4].…”

“…In the field of glaucoma, high-tension glaucoma (HTG) has been surveyed by OCTA and shown a decrease in peripapillary vessels that correlated with a retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defect, with good repeatability [9-11]. For macula, OCTA can also be used to demonstrate decreased total VD in HTG, angle-closure glaucoma, and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) [10, 12-15]. In addition, defective vasculature of both the optic nerve head and macula is correlated with structural defects and glaucoma progression [10, 16].…”

“…Although a correlation was found between declined peripapillary and macular VD and structural and functional parameters in HTG and NTG patients [10, 15-18], whether lower macular VD precedes or follows glaucoma development is still unclear. Additionally, while previous research has revealed a decrease in total VD [15], vascular alteration in different macular layers has not been evaluated.…”

“…Additionally, while previous research has revealed a decrease in total VD [15], vascular alteration in different macular layers has not been evaluated. Since vasculature is correlated with the degree of progression in glaucoma [10, 19, 20], an association between progressed glaucomatous damage and previous vascular impairment may exist.…”

Wie kann die optische Kohärenztomographie-Angiographie der Glaukomdiagnostik nutzen?

“…Diese Befunde sind nicht auf das klassische Offenwinkelglaukom beschränkt, sondern die OCTA zeigt auch beim Normaldruckglaukom deutlich stärkere Veränderungen [2]. Die Gefäßdichteminderung ist jedoch nicht glaukomspezifisch, sondern wurde auch bei anderen Optikusatrophien beobachtet.…”