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Evaluation of ocular surface temperature and retrobulbar haemodynamics by infrared thermography and colour Doppler imaging in patients with glaucoma.

Galassi F, Giambene B, Corvi A, Falaschi G

Eye Clinic, University of Florence, via Santa Marta, 24 - 50139 Florence, Italy. fernando.galassi@unifi.it

BACKGROUND: Ocular surface temperature (OST) could berelated to retrobulbar haemodynamics in patients with glaucoma. AIMS: To compare OST measurements in patients with glaucoma and healthy controls, and to investigate the correlation between OST, intraocular pressure (IOP) and retrobulbar haemodynamics in patients with glaucoma. METHODS: 32 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and 40 controls were included in the study. The parameters considered both in patients with POAG and in controls were IOP and OST values measured by infrared ocular thermography. Colour Doppler imaging was used to determine haemodynamic parameters in ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA) and short posterior ciliary arteries (SPCAs) in patients with POAG. RESULTS: OST values were significantly lower in patients with POAG than in controls (p<0.001). OST was negatively related with resistivity index of OA (p<0.001), CRA (p = 0.001) and SPCAs (p<0.001), and positively related with end-diastolic velocity of OA (p = 0.02) and SPCAs (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggested that OST could be a marker of impaired retrobulbar haemodynamics in patients with glaucoma.

Published 19 June 2007 in Br J Ophthalmol, 91(7): 878-81.
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