Purpose: To investigate the changes of ocular blood flow parameters in eyes with pseudoexfoliation (PXF).
Methods: Thirty-six eyes with documented unilateral PXF of 18 non-glaucomatous patients and 30 normal control eyes of 15 age-matched subjects were included in this study. While group 1 was consisted 18 eyes with PXF, group 2 was fellow eyes of the same patients without PXF at slitlamp examination and group 3 was control eyes. Using the Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (HRF); blood flow of optic nerve head (ONH), peripapillary retina and macula were examined on the 10 degrees field with the 10 x 10 pixel-sized measuring frame. Microvascular blood volume, flow, and velocity measurements of the groups were compared.
Results: The parameters of ONH were significantly lower in group 1 than both group 2 and 3 (p<0.05). The results of peripapillary retina measurements also showed a significant reduction in group 1 (p<0.05). Group 2 eyes had significantly decreased blood volume, flow and velocity (p<0.05). No differences between the groups in the blood flow measurements of the macula were found (p>0.05).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that eyes with PXF tend to have less blood volume, flow and velocity especially in the ONH and peripapillary retina. Lower blood flow measurements may be associated with invisible changes in eyes without documented PXF. Different circulation pattern may be a reason for resistance of the blood flow in macula.