To examine the relationship between optic nerve head (ONH) and finger blood flow in subjects with and without a primary vascular dysregulation (PVD).
Methods
ONH blood flow and finger blood flow was measured in 15 subjects with PVD and in 24 subjects without PVD. PVD was defined as being present if it was detected in patient history as well as by nailfold capillaromicroscopy PVD was defined as being absent if the patient history for PVD was negative and the results of nailfold capillaromicroscopy were negative. Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) was used to measure ONH and finger blood flow. Finger temperature was measured in all subjects using a contact sensor.
Results
ONH blood flow is significantly related to finger blood flow in subjects with PVD (p<0.01), but not in subjects without a PVD. Subjects with PVD had a significantly lower finger skin temperature in comparison to those without PVD (p<0.01)
Conclusions
The present study indicates a relationship between ONH and finger blood flow in subjects with PVD. This might be an indirect sign of a disturbed autoregulation of ocular blood flow in PVD subjects.
FlammerJ., OrgulS., CostaV.P.. The impact of ocular blood flow in glaucoma. Prog Retin Eye Res2002; 21: 359–93.
6.
FlammerJ., MozaffariehM.Autoregulation, a balancing act between supply and demand. Can J Ophthalmol2008; 43: 317–21.
7.
TutajM., BrownC.M., BrysM.. Dynamic cerebral autoregulation is impaired in glaucoma. J Neurol Sci2004; 220: 49–54.
8.
RivaC.E., LogeanE., FalsiniB.Visually evoked hemodynamical response and assessment of neurovascular coupling in the optic nerve and retina. Prog Retin Eye Res2005; 24: 183–215.
9.
ParverL.M., AukerC.R., CarpenterD.O.Choroidal blood flow. III. Reflexive control in human eyes. Arch Ophthalmol1983; 101: 1604–6.
10.
FlammerJ., HaefligerI.O., OrgulS., ResinkT.Vascular dysregulation: a principal risk factor for glaucomatous damage?J Glaucoma1999; 8: 212–9.
11.
FlammerJ., PacheM., ResinkT.Vasospasm, its role in the pathogenesis of diseases with particular reference to the eye. Prog Retin Eye Res2001; 20: 319–49.
12.
SanerH., WurbelH., MahlerF., FlammerJ., GasserP.Microvasculatory evaluation of vasospastic syndromes. Adv Exp Med Biol1987; 220: 215–8.
13.
GuthauserU., FlammerJ., MahlerF.The relationship between digital and ocular vasospasm. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol1988; 226: 224–6.
14.
TeuchnerB., OrgulS., UlmerH., HaufschildT., FlammerJ.Reduced thirst in patients with a vasospastic syndrome. Acta Ophthalmol Scand2004; 82: 738–40.
15.
OrgulS., KaiserH.J., FlammerJ., GasserP.Systemic blood pressure and capillary blood-cell velocity in glaucoma patients: a preliminary study. Eur J Ophthalmol1995; 5: 88–91.
16.
PacheM., KrauchiK., CajochenC.. Cold feet and prolonged sleep-onset latency in vasospastic syndrome. Lancet2001; 358: 125–6.
17.
GasserP., MeienbergO.Finger microcirculation in classical migraine. A video-microscopic study of nailfold capillaries. Eur Neurol1991; 31: 168–71.
18.
GassA., FlammerJ., UnderL., RomerioS.C., GasserP., HaefeliW.E.Inverse correlation between endothelin-1-induced peripheral microvascular vasoconstriction and blood pressure in glaucoma patients. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol1997; 235: 634–8.
GugletaK., ZawinkaC., RickenbacherI.. Analysis of retinal vasodilation after flicker light stimulation in relation to vasospastic propensity. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci2006; 47: 4034–41.
21.
KochkorovA., GugletaK., ZawinkaC., KatamayR., FlammerJ., OrgulS.Short-term retinal vessel diameter variability in relation to the history of cold extremities. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci2006; 47: 4026–33.
22.
GugletaK., KochkorovA., KatamayR., ZawinkaC., FlammerJ., OrgulS.On pulse-wave propagation in the ocular circulation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci2006; 47: 4019–25.
23.
GasserP., OrgulS., DublerB., BucheliB., FlammerJ.Relation between blood flow velocities in the ophthalmic artery and in nailfold capillaries. Br J Ophthalmol1999; 83: 501.
24.
GirardinF., OrgulS., ErbC., FlammerJ.Relationship between corneal temperature and finger temperature. Arch Ophthalmol1999; 117: 166–9.
25.
GasserP., FlammerJ.Blood-cell velocity in the nailfold capillaries of patients with normal-tension and high-tension glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol1991; 111: 585–8.
26.
RivaC.E.Basic principles of laser Doppler flowmetry and application to the ocular circulation. Int Ophthalmol2001; 23: 183–9.
BonovasS., FilioussiK., TsantesA., PeponisV.Epidemiological association between cigarette smoking and primary open-angle glaucoma: a meta-analysis. Public Health2004; 118: 256–61.
29.
BonovasS., PeponisV., FilioussiK.Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma: a meta-analysis. Diabet Med2004; 21: 609–14.
30.
MitchellP., LeeA.J., RochtchinaE., WangJ.J.Open-angle glaucoma and systemic hypertension: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. J Glaucoma2004; 13: 319–26.
31.
KangJ.H., PasqualeL.R., RosnerB.A.. Prospective study of cigarette smoking and the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma. Arch Ophthalmol2003; 121: 1762–8.
32.
deVoogdS., IkramM.K., WolfsR.C.. Is diabetes mellitus a risk factor for open-angle glaucoma? The Rotterdam Study. Ophthalmology2006; 113: 1827–31.
33.
LeeY.W., MinW.K., ChunS.. The association between intraocular pressure and predictors of coronary heart disease risk in Koreans. J Korean Med Sci2008; 23: 31–4.
34.
FlammerJ., MozaffariehM.What is the present pathogenetic concept of glaucomatous optic neuropathy?Surv Ophthalmol2007; 52(Suppl 2): S162–73.
35.
FlammerJ.[Glaucomatous optic neuropathy: a reperfusion injury.]Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd2001; 218: 290–1.
36.
GherghelD., HoskingS.L., CunliffeI.A.Abnormal systemic and ocular vascular response to temperature provocation in primary open-angle glaucoma patients: a case for autonomic failure?Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci2004; 45: 3546–54.
37.
HafezA.S., BizzarroR., DescovichD., LeskM.R.Correlation between finger blood flow and changes in optic nerve head blood flow following therapeutic intraocular pressure reduction. J Glaucoma2005; 14: 448–54.
