Impaired blood supply or reduced ocular blood flow may cause optic nerve damage in glaucoma patients. It is therefore beneficial to study the ocular hemodynamics of glaucoma patients. This article discusses various techniques used in examining orbital and intraocular vessels and ocular blood flow. Color Doppler Imaging (CDI), Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF), the Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (HRF), angiography, ocular pulse amplitudes, and pulsatile ocular blood flow are reviewed. Although there are many techniques available for measuring ocular hemodynamics, the most promising approach may be the direct measurement of capillary blood flow by laser Doppler techniques.
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