Relationship between macular vessel density and central visual field sensitivity at different glaucoma stages

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Glaucoma Research

Background:

• Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy characterized by vision loss.
• Assessing the relationship between ocular structures and visual function is crucial for understanding glaucoma.
• Macular vessel density (mVD) and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (mGCIPLT) are key structural parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relationship between macular vessel density (mVD) and central visual field sensitivity (cVFS) in glaucoma.
• To compare the vasculature-function relationship (mVD-cVFS) with the structure-function relationship (mGCIPLT-cVFS).
• To analyze these relationships across different glaucoma stages.

Main Methods:

• Optical coherence tomography angiography was used to measure mVD and mGCIPLT in 139 glaucoma patients.
• Central visual field sensitivity (cVFS) was assessed using standard visual field testing.
• Statistical analyses compared mVD and mGCIPLT with cVFS in early and moderate-to-advanced glaucoma.

Main Results:

• Significant associations between mVD and cVFS were found in moderate-to-advanced glaucoma, but not early glaucoma.
• The mVD-cVFS association was stronger than the mGCIPLT-cVFS association in moderate-to-advanced glaucoma.
• Reduced mVD independently predicted cVFS loss in moderate-to-advanced glaucoma.

Conclusions:

• The macular vasculature-function relationship is more significant than the structure-function relationship in moderate-to-advanced glaucoma.
• Macular vessel density shows promise as a tool for monitoring visual function in advanced glaucoma.