Improved discrimination between normal-tension and primary open-angle glaucoma with advanced vascular examinations - the Leuven Eye Study

PURPOSE: Vascular factors have been suggested to influence the development and progression of glaucoma. They are thought to be especially relevant for normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients. We aim to investigate which vascular factors, including advanced vascular examinations, better describe patients with NTG comparing to those with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS: The Leuven Eye Study database (182 NTG and 202 POAG patients; similar structural and functional damage) was used to compute three multivariate logistic regression models: a conventional model (conventional parameters only, including vascular-related self-reported phenomena, such as migraine or peripheral vasospasm); an advanced vascular model (advanced vascular parameters only: colour Doppler imaging (CDI), retinal oximetry, ocular pulse amplitude and choroidal thickness); and a global model, in which both types of parameters were allowed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and corresponding areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated and compared between models. RESULTS: Patients with NTG had a higher resistive index and lower early systolic acceleration (ESA) in their retrobulbar vessels and a smaller arteriovenous retinal oxygen saturation difference. The global model (AUC 0.743) showed a significantly better discriminative ability when compared to either the conventional (AUC 0.687, p = 0.049) or the advanced vascular (AUC 0.677, p = 0.005) models. Also, the conventional and the advanced vascular models showed a similar discriminative ability (p = 0.823). CONCLUSION: Patients with NTG have more signs of vascular dysfunction. Clinical conventional parameters, such as asking simple vascular-related questions, combined with advanced vascular examinations provide information to better understand the value that non-IOP-related factors play in NTG.

Jaar van publicatie:2019

BOF-keylabel:ja

IOF-keylabel:ja

BOF-publication weight:3

CSS-citation score:3

Auteurs:International

Authors from:Higher Education

Toegankelijkheid:Closed