title: Retinal vessel diameter in bilateral glaucoma suspects: comparison between the eye converted to glaucoma and the contralateral non-converted eye.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate retinal vessel diameter in patients classified as bilateral glaucoma suspects who showed unilateral glaucomatous conversion.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included 21 patients who had initially been diagnosed as bilateral glaucoma suspects but showed unilateral glaucomatous conversion during a follow-up period of more than 2 years. Conversion to glaucoma was determined either by documentation of a new retinal nerve fiber layer defect on red-free photography or a reproducible glaucomatous visual field defect. The central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) and central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) were measured from fundus photographs taken at baseline and at the point of glaucoma conversion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean CRAE of the converted eyes was significantly lower than that of the non-converted eyes at baseline (164.9 ± 13.2 μm vs 175.2 ± 15.6 μm; p = 0.001), but no significant difference was observed in the mean CRVE (p = 0.108). The mean CRAE of the converted eyes was also lower than in the non-converted eyes at the point of glaucoma conversion (158.6 ± 13.5 μm vs 168.0 ± 17.2 μm; p = 0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In bilateral glaucoma suspects, there was a significant inter-eye difference in CRAE at baseline between eyes that converted to glaucoma and those that did not. These findings suggest that measurement of retinal arteriolar diameter may help clinicians when evaluating the risk of conversion in glaucoma suspects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, 148 Gurodong-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eunjoo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, 148 Gurodong-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chungkwon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Chonbuk National University Medical School and Hospital, Jeonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Eun
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, 148 Gurodong-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, South Korea. yongykim@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yong Yeon
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006068:Gonioscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D033401:Microscopy, Acoustic; D008875:Middle Aged; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Central retinal arteriolar equivalent; Central retinal venular equivalent; Glaucoma suspect; Retinal vessel diameter; Unilateral glaucomatous conversion