Pulsatile ocular blood flow in patients with pseudoexfoliation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Purpose: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome is oneof the most frequent causes of open-angleglaucoma and is statistically significantassociated with a high risk of hypertension, angina,myocardial infarction or stroke and retinal veinthrombosis. The aim of this study was toevaluate the pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF)in pseudoexfoliation syndrome without(PEX) and with glaucoma (PEG).Methods: Seventeen eyes with PEX, 17 withPEG and 11 normal eyes of age-matchedpatients were enrolled. A complete ophthalmologicalexamination included measuring thePOBF with the Langham Pneumotonometer as well asthe nerve fiber layer thickness byscanning laser polarimetry (GDxTM). Results: The blood flow parameters, pulsevolume and POBF, were statisticallysignificant different between normals and patientswith PEG (p < 0.003, t-test). A negativecorrelation between the intraocular pressure andthe POBF was found for all eyes tested.Analysis of GDx? parameters showed a negativecorrelation for the ``number'' with thePOBF and a positive one for ellipse modulation.Conclusion: Although pseudoexfoliation is reportedto be a systemic diseasemeasurement of the POBF could not detect any differencebetween normals and PEX, but wasstatistically significant different in PEG.Assessments of nerve fiber layer thickness asdetermined by scanning laser polarimetry alsoshowed a correlation with POBF in someparameters tested.