Purpose: To elucidate hemodynamical changes in patients, suffering from NPG with acute optic disc hemorrhages (ODH).
Methods: Ocular pulse amplitudes and pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF) were measured with the OBF-system, U.K., and optic nerve head blood flow was measured by scanning laserdoppler flowmetry. In addition the IOP and the visual field (Humphrey 30-2) were monitored. 18 consecutive NPG-patients with ODH were examined (69,9 years). Two groups served as a control: 18 patients with NPG (70,0 years) and the contralateral eye without any hemorrhages. For statistical analysis the Mann-Whitney-U-test and the Wilcoxon-test were applied.
Results: Optic nerve head blood flow was significantly (p=0,0057) lower (x=513 AU) in eyes with ODH compared to the controls (x=632 AU) but did not significantly differ from the contralateral eye (x=617 AU). POBF and OPA were significantly lower (p<0,05) in eyes with ODH (x=652 µl/min; x=1,66 mmHg) compared to the contralateral eyes (x=755 µl/min; x=1,91 mmHg) and compared to the controls (x=958 µl/min; x=2,48 mmHg). Furthermore there was found a significant difference between the contralateral eye and the control group (p<0,05).
Conclusion: The results indicate that optic nerve blood flow is diminished in NPG eyes with ODH. Furthermore the contralateral eyes show reduced OPA and POBF compared to a NPG control group. Therefore a diminished OPA and POBF might be interpreted as an early sign of progression. 1University Eye Hospital Hamburg, Germany 2University Eye Hospital San Diego