Purpose: To investigate the vascular microcirculation changes in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in normal, glaucoma suspect, and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) groups using optical coherence tomography-based microangiography (OMAG).
Methods: One eye from each subject was scanned with a Cirrus HD-OCT 5000-based OMAG prototype system montage scanning protocol centered at the optic nerve head (ONH). Blood flow signals were extracted using OMAG algorithm. Retinal nerve fiber layer vascular microcirculation was measured by calculating the blood flux index and vessel area density within a 1.2-mm width annulus centered at the ONH with exclusion of big retinal vessels. One-way ANOVA were performed to analyze the RNFL microcirculation among groups. Linear-regression models were constructed to analyze the correlation between RNFL microcirculation and clinical parameters. Discrimination capabilities of the flow metrics were assessed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AROC).
Results: Twenty normal, 26 glaucoma suspect, and 42 OAG subjects were enrolled. Eyes from OAG subjects and glaucoma suspects showed significantly lower blood flux index compared with normal eyes (P ≤ 0.0015). Retinal nerve fiber layer blood flow metrics showed significant correlations with visual field indices and structural changes in glaucomatous eyes (P ≤ 0.0123). Similar discrimination capability of blood flux index compared with RNFL thickness was found in both disease groups.
Conclusions: Peripapillary RNFL vascular microcirculation measured as blood flux index by OMAG showed significant differences among OAG, glaucoma suspect, and normal controls and was significantly correlated with functional and structural defects. Retinal nerve fiber layer microcirculation measurement using OMAG may help physicians monitor glaucoma.