[Minimal compression-load ophthalmoplethysmography in health and in primary open-angle glaucoma]

The investigation was undertaken to study intraocular blood flow in health and in primary open-angle glaucoma, by applying ophthalmoplethysmography with the minimum compression load on the eyeball. Sixty-nine patients (129 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma and 41 healthy individuals (82 eyes) were examined. In healthy individuals, the ophthalmoplethysmographic parameters of ocular volumetric blood flow averaged 7.3 mm3 for pulse volume and 493 mm3 for minute volume. There was a noticeable drop in volumetric ocular blood flow parameters in early primary open-angle glaucoma and their further decrease as a glaucomatous process progressed. The patients with primary open-glaucoma showed an inverse correlation of the volumetric hemodynamic parameters with the intraocular pressure. Worse temporary plethysmographic parameters were found in patients with normal intraocular pressure, which is an indirect indication of impaired choroidal blood microcirculation in glaucoma even within the normal range of intraocular pressure.