title: Correlation of optic disc morphology and ocular perfusion parameters in patients with primary open angle glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little information is available about the relationship between glaucomatous visual field defects, morphological changes of the optic disc and ocular blood flow. In this study, ocular blood flow parameters were correlated with parameters of optic nerve head (ONH) morphology and visual field performance in a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 103 patients with primary open angle glaucoma were included. Choroidal and ONH blood flow was assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry. Retinal blood velocities and retinal vessel diameters were measured with laser Doppler velocimetry and a Retinal Vessel Analyzer, respectively. To evaluate the ONH morphology, fundus photographs were taken and confocal laser scanning tomography was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among all measured ocular hemodynamic parameters, the ONH blood flow was most strongly correlated to structural parameters of ONH damage and visual field loss. Reduced retinal vessel diameters were only slightly correlated with the degree of glaucomatous damage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced blood flow in the ONH was associated with increasing amount of visual field defect and morphological changes of the ONH. Retinal vessel diameters were only marginally associated with glaucomatous optic nerve damage. Based on retinal vessel diameter determination alone, it is not possible to assess whether reduced retinal blood flow is causative or secondary in glaucoma.
authors: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors: Hemma
authors: H
authors: Resch
authors: Doreen
authors: D
authors: Schmidl
authors: Anton
authors: A
authors: Hommer
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Rensch
authors: Jost B
authors: JB
authors: Jonas
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Fuchsjäger-Mayrl
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Garhöfer
authors: Clemens
authors: C
authors: Vass
authors: Leopold
authors: L
authors: Schmetterer