Purpose:
To evaluate the association between retinal vessel diameter and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with normal tension glaucoma.(NTG)
Methods:
This study included 84 previously untreated patients with mono-ocular NTG. A detailed eye examination including red free photo, stereo disc photo, Humphrey visual field, and measurement of RNFL thickness with stratus OCT was performed in all subjects. RNFL thickness, retinal artery and vein diameter, artery/vein ratio were compared between quadrants with or without RNFL defects using Zeiss visupac program and Zeiss AV ratio.(figure)
Results:
The mean retinal arteriolar (p=0.02) diameters were significantly smaller in the quadrant with RNFL defects than without RNFL defect. Arteriovenular (AV) ratio was smaller in the quadrant with RNFL defects than without RNFL defect. The same correlation was produced when quadrant was divided into superior and inferior. However, there was no significant correlation between the arteriolar diameter and venular diameter in the quadrant with or without RNFL defect (p=0.653, p=0.651, respectively).
Conclusions:
The quadrants with RNFL defect had smaller diameters of the retinal arteriole than the quadrant without RNFL defects. Arteriolar diameter was significantly associated with RNFL thickness in the patients with NTG. Our results suggest that narrower retinal artery associate with poor blood supply which may lead RNFL defects.
Keywords: nerve fiber layer • retinal connections, networks, circuitry • ischemia