Abstract
BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to measure the retinal venous pressure (RVP) in the eyes of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and healthy subjects with and without a Flammer-Syndrome (FS).MethodsRVP was measured in the following four groups of patients and age- and sex-matched healthy controls: (a) 15 patients with a POAG and a FS (POAG/FS+); (b) 15 patients with a POAG but without a FS (POAG/FS-); (c) 14 healthy subjects with a FS (healthy/FS+) and (d) 16 healthy subjects without a FS (healthy/FS-). RVP was measured in all participants bilaterally by means of contact lens ophthalmodynamometry. Ophthalmodynamometry is done by applying increasing pressure on the eye via a contact lens. The minimum force required to induce a venous pulsation is called ophthalmodynamometric force (ODF). The RVP is defined and calculated as the sum of ODF and intraocular pressure (IOP) [RVP = ODF + IOP].ResultsThe participants with a FS (whether patients with POAG or healthy subjects), had a significantly higher RVP compared to subjects without a FS (p = 0.0103). Patients with a POAG and FS (POAG/FS+) had a significantly higher RVP compared to patients without a FS (POAG/FS-) (p = 0.0301). There was a notable trend for a higher RVP in the healthy/FS + group compared to the healthy/FS - group, which did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.0898).ConclusionsRVP is higher in subjects with a FS, particularly in glaucoma patients. The causal relationship needs to be further evaluated.
Highlights
The purpose of the study was to measure the retinal venous pressure (RVP) in the eyes of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and healthy subjects with and without a Flammer-Syndrome (FS)
The visual acuities in the FS + group ranged from 20/100 to 20/20 and the mean deviation (MD) in the visual field ranged from −3.2 to −10.9
In the FS- group the visual acuities ranged from 20/100 to 20/20 and MD in the visual field ranged from −2.9 to −12.1
Summary
The purpose of the study was to measure the retinal venous pressure (RVP) in the eyes of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and healthy subjects with and without a Flammer-Syndrome (FS). Disturbances of ocular blood flow are involved in many ophthalmic diseases and are of utmost clinical relevance [1,2,3,4,5]. Some organs are not well perfused, despite anatomically healthy blood vessels, when the regulation of blood flow is not adapted to the needs of the tissue [8]. Such a vascular dysregulation implies either inappropriate vasoconstrictions (vasospasms) or an insufficient vasodilation (more or less than is required) [9]. Dysregulation can be secondary in nature, as in multiple sclerosis [10], wherein the high level of Endothelin-1 reduces ocular blood flow OBF. Dysregulation can be primary in nature (primary vascular dysregulation or PVD) [9], meaning that it can occur without any underlying disease and caused by
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