Corneal Hysteresis Is Associated With Severity of Visual Field Damage in Glaucoma Patients

Abstract

Purpose:: To determine the correlation between corneal hysteresis (CH) and severity of visual field loss in patients with primary open angle glaucoma.

Methods:: The Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA; Reichert, Buffalo, NY) was used to measure corneal hysteresis in patients with primary open angle glaucoma. ORA waveforms and patient clinical history were reviewed with a glaucoma specialist for appropriate glaucoma diagnosis and ORA data integrity. CH values were compared to mean deviation and pattern standard deviation on Humphrey visual fields performed within one year of CH measurements.

Results:: In POAG patients (n=107), a statistically significant correlation between CH and visual field parameters was observed. A small but significant correlation was observed between CH and mean deviation (r= 0.3, p <0.001) and pattern standard deviation (r= 0.2, p = 0.002) on Humphrey visual fields in POAG eyes. No significant difference in CH between right and left eyes of POAG patients was observed.

Conclusions:: Corneal hysteresis has a small to moderate correlation with visual field severity in eyes with primary open angle glaucoma. POAG eyes with more severe glaucoma damage based upon visual fields tended to have higher corneal hysteresis. Hysteresis is a biomechanical property of the cornea that may be a surrogate marker for patients with increased risk for glaucomatous visual field loss.

Keywords: visual fields • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment • cornea: clinical science