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No apparent association between ocular perfusion pressure and visual field damage in normal-tension glaucoma patients.

Kurita N, Tomidokoro A, Mayama C, Aihara M, Araie M

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation of ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) with general and localized visual field damage in normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients. METHODS: Correlations between OPP, blood pressure, age, intraocular pressure, refractive error, and extent of visual field damage in the eye with the worst mean deviation (MD) were investigated retrospectively in 94 eyes of 94 NTG patients. Visual fields were analyzed statistically with respect to 15 sectors between two age-matched groups of subjects with high or low OPP. RESULTS: Significant positive correlations were found between OPP and age (P < 0.001), blood pressure and age (P < 0.05), and MD and refractive error (P < 0.01). OPP had no significant correlation with MD or mean sensitivity in the visual field in any of the visual field sectors. CONCLUSION: OPP and systemic blood pressure have no evident effect on the extent or pattern of visual field damage in NTG.

Published 20 December 2006 in Jpn J Ophthalmol, 50(6): 547-9.
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