title: Relationship between progression of visual field defect and intraocular pressure in primary open-angle glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and the progression of visual field defects in Japanese primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects of the study were patients undergoing treatment for POAG or NTG who had performed visual field tests at least ten times with a Humphrey field analyzer (Swedish interactive thresholding algorithm standard, C30-2 program). The progression of visual field defects was defined by a significantly negative value of the mean deviation slope at the final visual field test during the follow-up period. The relationships between the progression of visual field defects and IOP, as well as other clinical factors, were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 156 eyes of 156 patients were included in the analysis. Significant progression of visual field defects was observed in 70 eyes of 70 patients (44.9%), while no significant progression was evident in 86 eyes of 86 patients (55.1%). The eyes with visual field defect progression had significantly lower baseline IOP (P<0.05), as well as significantly lower IOP reduction rate (P<0.01). The standard deviation of IOP values during follow-up was significantly greater in the eyes with visual field defect progression than in eyes without (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reducing IOP is thought to be useful for Japanese POAG or NTG patients to suppress the progression of visual field defects. In NTG, IOP management should take into account not only achieving the target IOP, but also minimizing the fluctuation of IOP during follow-up period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.affiliation: Yoshikawa Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mizoue
authors.affiliation: Kagurazaka Minamino Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nanno
authors.affiliation: Ueno Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tairo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Suzumura Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzumura
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shiraga
keywords: MD slope; intraocular pressure; normal-tension glaucoma; primary open-angle glaucoma; progression of visual field defects