Claudia Lommatzsch1, Carsten Heinz1,2, Joerg Michael Koch1, Britta Heimes-Bussmann1, Ursula Hahn3,4, Swaantje Grisanti5. 1. Augenabteilung am St. Franziskus-Hospital Münster. 2. Universitätsaugenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Essen. 3. Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten. 4. 4 OcuNet GmbH & Co KG, Düsseldorf. 5. Universitätsaugenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) - with perimeter and acircularity index (AI) and surrounding vessel density - are measured in glaucomatous eyes in comparison to healthy eyes - with additional subdivision into visual field defects in different locations (central vs. peripheral). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data from 128 eyes were evaluated. Firstly, glaucomatous eyes (n = 74) were compared with healthy eyes (n = 54). In addition, glaucomatous eyes with a central visual field defect (ZGD, n = 19) and eyes with peripheral visual field defect (PGD, n = 34) were differentiated. The FAZ area, its perimeter and roundness, as well as the parafoveal vessel density (VD), were calculated by means of optical coherence tomography angiography in the superficial and deep vascular plexus. RESULTS: Glaucomatous eyes have no significant change in FAZ, its perimeter or the AI compared to healthy eyes. However, dividing the glaucomatous eye by visual field defect reveals that the eyes with a central defect have a significantly larger FAZ than those with a peripheral defect and the perimeter is also significantly larger. The AI shows no significant difference depending on the localisation of visual field defects. The macular/foveal VD is significantly lower in the ZDG group. CONCLUSIONS: In glaucoma, the FAZ enlarges when the visual field defect is centralised and VD decreases significantly in the area of fovea. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.
BACKGROUND: The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) - with perimeter and acircularity index (AI) and surrounding vessel density - are measured in glaucomatous eyes in comparison to healthy eyes - with additional subdivision into visual field defects in different locations (central vs. peripheral). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data from 128 eyes were evaluated. Firstly, glaucomatous eyes (n = 74) were compared with healthy eyes (n = 54). In addition, glaucomatous eyes with a central visual field defect (ZGD, n = 19) and eyes with peripheral visual field defect (PGD, n = 34) were differentiated. The FAZ area, its perimeter and roundness, as well as the parafoveal vessel density (VD), were calculated by means of optical coherence tomography angiography in the superficial and deep vascular plexus. RESULTS: Glaucomatous eyes have no significant change in FAZ, its perimeter or the AI compared to healthy eyes. However, dividing the glaucomatous eye by visual field defect reveals that the eyes with a central defect have a significantly larger FAZ than those with a peripheral defect and the perimeter is also significantly larger. The AI shows no significant difference depending on the localisation of visual field defects. The macular/foveal VD is significantly lower in the ZDG group. CONCLUSIONS: In glaucoma, the FAZ enlarges when the visual field defect is centralised and VD decreases significantly in the area of fovea. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.