Association Between Parapapillary Microvasculature Dropout and Central Retinal Vessel Trunk in Primary Open Angle...

Central retinal vessel trunk displacement is an important factor in the generation and development of deep-layer microvasculature dropout in primary open angle glaucoma.

To investigate the association between the microvasculature dropout and the central retinal vessel trunk in primary open angle glaucoma eyes.

In total, 112 eyes from 112 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma were included. Matched 26 no microvasculature dropout eyes and 26 microvasculature dropout eyes, they had similar axial length and global retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. Central retinal vessel trunk shift index was calculated as the distance of the central retinal vessel trunk from the Bruch membrane opening center relative to that of the Bruch membrane opening border. The correlation of the presence, extent, and location of microvasculature dropout and the displacement extent and location of the central retina vessel trunk was analyzed.

The central retinal vessel trunk shift index differed significantly between the 2 matched groups. Multivariate logistic analyses showed that in 112 eyes from 112 patients, eyes with microvasculature dropout was significantly associated with larger shift index than eyes without microvasculature dropout. The angular circumference of microvasculature dropout was significantly associated with adjusted shift index (a linear mixed model was constructed, exclude the influence of axial length and global retinal nerve fiber layer thickness on shift index). The location of the microvasculature dropout and central retinal vessel trunk contralateral were significantly correlated.

In primary open angle glaucoma eyes, microvasculature dropout and the central retinal vessel trunk were significantly correlated. Because the central retinal vessel trunk represents the structural stability of the lamina cribrosa, microvasculature dropout seems to correlate with lamina cribrosa's structural stability.