title: Frequency of spontaneous pulsations of the central retinal vein in glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of spontaneous pulsations of the central retinal vein in eyes with chronic open-angle glaucoma versus normal eyes in the setting of a general ophthalmic practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical observational case-series study included 167 eyes of 84 subjects with chronic open-angle glaucoma and 704 eyes (352 subjects) of a control group. The optic disc was ophthalmoscopically examined using a noncontact ophthalmoscopic lens at the slit lamp in medical mydriasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Spontaneous pulsations of the central retinal vein were observed in significantly (P=0.005; odds ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.84) fewer eyes of the glaucoma group (107/167 or 64.1%+/-3.7%%) than in the eyes of the control group (530/704 or 75.3%+/-1.6%). In both groups, the presence of a spontaneous central retinal vein pulsation was statistically (P>0.10) independent of age, sex, refractive error, and intraocular pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As examined in a nonreferral ophthalmic practice, eyes with chronic open-angle glaucoma compared with normal eyes show a significantly lower frequency of detected spontaneous pulsations of the central retinal vein. Confirming previous hospital-based studies, the results suggest that assessment of the central retinal vessel pulsations, as part of an optic disc examination may clinically be useful for the diagnosis of glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Legler
authors.forename: Jost B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jonas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009184:Mydriatics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009884:Ophthalmodynamometry; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009184:Mydriatics