Correlation of retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and spontaneous retinal venous pulsations in glaucoma and normal controls

PLoS One. 2015 Jun 4;10(6):e0128433. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128433. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Purpose: To study the relationship between amplitude of spontaneous retinal venous pulsatility (SRVP) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness in glaucomatous eyes, and to determine if this parameter may be a potential marker for glaucoma severity.

Method: 85 subjects including 50 glaucoma (21 males, 67±10 yrs) and 35 normals (16 males, 62±11 yrs) were studied. SRVP amplitude was measured using the Dynamic Vessel Analyser (DVA, Imedos, Germany) at four regions of the retina simultaneously within one disc diameter from the optic disc--temporal-superior (TS), nasal-superior (NS), temporal-inferior (TI) and nasal-inferior (NI)). This was followed by RNFL thickness measurement using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis OCT). The correlation between SRVP amplitude and corresponding sectoral RNFL thickness was assessed by means of non-linear regression (i.e. logarithmic). Linear regression was also applied and slopes were compared using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Results: Greater SRVP amplitude was associated with thicker RNFL. Global SRVP amplitude was significantly lower in glaucoma eyes compared with normals (p<0.0001). The correlation coefficient of the linear regression between RNFL and SRVP at TS, NS, TI and NI quadrants in the glaucoma group were r = 0.5, 0.5, 0.48, 0.62. Mean SRVP amplitude and RNFL thickness for TS, NS, TI and NI quadrants were 4.3±1.5, 3.5±1.3, 4.7±1.6, 3.1±1 μm and 96±30, 75±22, 89±35 and 88±30 μm, respectively. The ANCOVA test showed that the slope of linear regression between the four quadrants was not significant (p>0.05). Since the slopes are not significantly different, it is possible to calculate one slope for all the data. The pooled slope equals 10.8 (i.e. RNFL = 10.8SRVP+41).

Conclusion: While SRVP was present and measurable in all individuals, the amplitude of SRVP is reduced in glaucoma with increasing RNFL loss. Our findings suggest the degree of SRVP may be an additional marker for glaucoma severity. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanism of reduction in SRVP, and whether changes can predict increased risk of progression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glaucoma / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Fibers / pathology*
  • Nose / pathology
  • Retina / pathology*
  • Retinal Vein / pathology*
  • Time Factors

Grants and funding

The authors received funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (1020367), the "Rebecca L. Cooper" Medical Foundation and "Perpetual-Hillcrest” to conduct this study. The funds provided are solely for assistance with project costs and does not include investigator employment, consultancy, patents, products in development and marketed products. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.