Optic Nerve Head Blood Flow, as Measured by Laser Speckle Flowgraphy, Is Significantly Reduced in Preperimetric Glaucoma

Abstract

Purpose: To compare optic nerve head (ONH) blood flow in healthy eyes, eyes with preperimetric glaucoma (PPG), and eyes with mild normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG).

Methods: In 172 eyes (normal: 44 eyes; PPG: 62 eyes; mild NTG: 66 eyes), LSFG was used to measure mean blur rate in the ONH tissue area (MBR_T), an index of capillary blood flow. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine factors affecting circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT), mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD) of the visual field.

Results: Despite similar characteristics in age, refractive error and systemic variables among the study groups, MBR_T in the normal eyes differed significantly from both the PPG and mild NTG eyes (P = 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Multiple regression analysis revealed that MBR_T was an independent factor affecting cpRNFLT, MD and PSD (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively).

Conclusion: ONH blood flow was detectibly reduced in eyes with PPG, in close association with structural and visual field damage. This suggests that measuring ONH tissue-area blood flow with LSFG may be a useful way of monitoring glaucoma severity, even in the early stages of glaucoma.

Keywords: Laser speckle flowgraphy; glaucoma; ocular blood flow; optic nerve head; preperimetric glaucoma.