Border tissue morphology is associated with the pattern of visual field progression in open-angle glaucoma

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Research
• Anatomical Pathology

Background:

• The exact causes of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) remain elusive.
• Understanding risk factors for visual field (VF) progression is crucial for managing OAG.
• The role of ocular tissue morphology in OAG progression requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between externally oblique border tissue (EOBT) morphology and visual field (VF) progression patterns in OAG.
• To identify morphological and clinical risk factors contributing to VF deterioration in OAG patients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-SD-OCT) images to assess EOBT.
• Pointwise linear regression to quantify VF deterioration rates.
• Logistic regression analysis to determine odds ratios for VF progression based on risk factors.

Main Results:

• 42.2% of OAG eyes exhibited VF deterioration.
• Multivariate analysis identified longer follow-up, higher baseline intraocular pressure (IOP), lower mean ocular perfusion pressure (MOPP), and smaller angular location of longest EOBT as significant risk factors for VF progression.
• The location of the longest EOBT was significantly associated with inferior and central VF progression.

Conclusions:

• The pattern of VF progression in OAG is linked to the location of the longest EOBT.
• EOBT morphology represents a novel factor associated with VF progression in OAG, alongside established risk factors like IOP and MOPP.