Objective: To investigate ocular hemodynamics with color Doppler imaging, in low-tension glaucoma.
Methods: Nineteen patients with low-tension glaucoma (LTG) and 15 normal subjects were studied. The peak systolic velocity (Vmax), the end diastolic velocity (Vmin), the mean-enveloped velocity (Vmean), the pulse index (PI), the resistance index (RI) and S/D (Vmax/Vmin) of the ophthalmic artery (OA), the short posterior ciliary arteries (SPCA) and the central retinal artery (CRA) were compared in the two groups.
Results: (1) Compared with the normal subjects, the patients with LTG showed a decreased Vmax and Vmin in SPCA in bilateral eyes and Vmean in the right eye (P < 0.05), and a decreased RI and S/D in the left eye (P < 0.05). (2) Vmax and Vmean of CRA in LTG were lower than that in normal subjects (P < 0.01). (3) All six blood flow parameters of OA in the two groups were not significantly different from each other.
Conclusions: Blood flow velocity of SPCA in LTG was lower than that in the normal subjects. The results support the theory that LTG is induced by the perfusion impairment of optic nerve head.