Retinal arterial diameter changes in progressive and nonprogressive glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if the degree of retinal arterial diameter change is different between patients with progressive and nonprogressive open-angle glaucoma.


METHODS
In this prospective cohort study, 44 eyes of 44 open-angle glaucoma patients (mean age, 67.5 years; age range, 52-84 years; mean follow-up period, 4.9 years; follow-up range, 1.3-7.5 years) were included. The change in arterial diameter between the baseline and the most recent follow-up optic disc photograph was determined. The diameter of the 4 major arteries was measured at the optic disc margin and at the thinnest and broadest locations within 1 optic disc diameter from the disc margin. Patients were stratified into progressing and nonprogressing groups according to visual field and optic disc criteria.


RESULTS
Visual field progression was observed in 13 (30%) patients and optic disc progression in 24 (55%) patients. On average, the arterial diameters at the edge of the optic disc decreased significantly by 2.37% (95% CI, -3.31% to -1.41%) per year of follow-up (P<0.001). No significant difference in generalized or focal arterial narrowing was observed between progressive and nonprogressive groups regardless of the criterion used (P>0.462). With this sample, the power to detect a 10% difference in arterial narrowing between the 2 groups was 66%. There was no relationship between the rates of visual field progression and arterial diameter change in the whole group (P = 0.171) or in groups segregated into progressing and nonprogressing patients (P>0.104).


CONCLUSIONS
Arterial diameters decreased in both progressive and nonprogressive glaucoma. In this study, there was little evidence that arterial narrowing was more pronounced in progressive disease.
Soares
Adael S
AS
Department of Ophthalmology, Dalhousie University, 1278 Tower Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H2.
Artes
Paul H
PH
McCormick
Terry A
TA
LeBlanc
Raymond P
RP
Nicolela
Marcelo T
MT
Chauhan
Balwantray C
BC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D014794:Visual Fields