[Macular blood flow in glaucoma]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Glaucoma Research

Background:

• Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
• Macular blood flow alterations may precede structural damage in POAG.
• Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) offers a non-invasive method to visualize ocular vasculature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate macular blood flow in POAG patients using OCT-A.
• To compare blood flow parameters between POAG patients and healthy controls.
• To investigate the relationship between macular blood flow and glaucoma stage.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-five POAG patients and 22 healthy controls underwent OCT-A.
• Macular blood flow parameters (Flow Area, Flow Index, Vessel Density) were measured in superficial and deep vascular plexuses.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and R.

Main Results:

• POAG patients exhibited significantly lower Flow Area, Flow Index, and Vessel Density in both superficial and deep macular plexuses compared to controls (p<0.001).
• These reductions were observed in both para- and perifoveal regions.
• No significant differences in blood flow parameters were found between different stages of glaucoma.

Conclusions:

• Reduced macular blood flow, detectable by OCT-A, is an early indicator in POAG.
• This finding suggests early vascular compromise contributes to the pathogenesis of POAG.
• OCT-A is a valuable tool for assessing early vascular changes in POAG.