Central corneal pachymetry and visual field progression in patients with open-angle glaucoma

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Research
• Corneal Physiology

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
• Visual field progression is a critical indicator of glaucoma severity.
• Corneal pachymetry, measuring central corneal thickness (CCT), is an important factor in glaucoma assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between corneal pachymetry and visual field progression in patients with chronic open-angle glaucoma.
• To determine if CCT is a predictive factor for glaucoma progression.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case-control study involving 88 patients with various types of open-angle glaucoma.
• Patients were followed for an average of 8 years.
• Visual field progression was defined by modified Anderson criteria; central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured using ultrasound pachymetry.

Main Results:

• Patients with visual field progression had significantly lower mean CCT (529±36 µm) compared to those without progression (547±35 µm).
• Thinner CCT was identified as a significant risk factor for visual field progression (P=0.01; HR=1.44).
• CCT was the sole significant risk factor associated with visual field progression in this cohort.

Conclusions:

• Thinner central corneal thickness is significantly associated with visual field progression in open-angle glaucoma patients.
• Corneal pachymetry may serve as a valuable tool for identifying glaucoma patients at higher risk of progression.