Relationship between oxygen saturation of the retinal vessels and visual field defect in glaucoma patients: comparison with each hemifield.
Shimazaki Takeru, Hirooka Kazuyuki, Nakano Yuki, Nitta Eri, Ukegawa Kaori, Sato Shino, Tsujikawa Akitaka
AI Summary
Glaucoma patients with worse visual field defects showed higher retinal venous oxygen saturation, suggesting reduced oxygen extraction due to ganglion cell loss, which may indicate metabolic dysfunction.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between visual field defects in the upper and lower hemifields and the corresponding oxygen saturation of the retinal vessels in patients with glaucoma.
Methods
Patients with glaucoma (n = 44) exhibiting more than a 10 dB difference between the upper and lower total deviation (TD) were enrolled in the study. After measuring the retinal vessel oxygen saturation by a non-invasive spectrophotometric retinal oximeter, the hemifields in one eye of each patient were divided into worse (worse TD) and better (better TD) hemifield areas. We additionally evaluated a separate group of 40 patients with glaucoma who exhibited less than a 5 dB difference between the upper and lower TD. Statistical analysis was performed using a Student's t-test.
Results
A higher mean venous saturation of oxygen (SaO 2 ) was observed in the worse (59.0 ± 8.0%) hemifield compared to the better (55.4 ± 7.2%) hemifield (p < 0.01). The mean arteriovenous difference in the SaO 2 was lower in the worse (44.4 ± 9.0%) hemifield compared to the better (48.6 ± 11.4%) hemifield (p = 0.02). However, when we evaluated the worse and better hemifields in the patients who had less than a 5 dB difference in the upper and lower hemifield TD, we found no statistically significant differences for either the retinal SaO 2 in the venous vessels or the arteriovenous difference.
Conclusions
Advanced glaucomatous visual field defects were associated with increased SaO 2 in the venous vessels and a decreased arteriovenous difference in the SaO 2 . The present results suggest there is a reduced retinal oxygen extraction in eyes with glaucomatous damage due to retinal ganglion cell loss.
MeSH Terms
Shields Classification
Key Concepts5
A higher mean venous saturation of oxygen (SaO2) was observed in the worse (59.0 +/- 8.0%) hemifield compared to the better (55.4 +/- 7.2%) hemifield (p < 0.01) in 44 glaucoma patients exhibiting more than a 10 dB difference between the upper and lower total deviation (TD).
The mean arteriovenous difference in the SaO2 was lower in the worse (44.4 +/- 9.0%) hemifield compared to the better (48.6 +/- 11.4%) hemifield (p = 0.02) in 44 glaucoma patients exhibiting more than a 10 dB difference between the upper and lower total deviation (TD).
Advanced glaucomatous visual field defects were associated with increased SaO2 in the venous vessels and a decreased arteriovenous difference in the SaO2.
The results suggest reduced retinal oxygen extraction in eyes with glaucomatous damage due to retinal ganglion cell loss.
No statistically significant differences for either retinal SaO2 in venous vessels or arteriovenous difference were found when evaluating worse and better hemifields in a separate group of 40 glaucoma patients who had less than a 5 dB difference in the upper and lower hemifield TD.
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