rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2005;89:174-179 doi:10.1136/bjo.2004.047035
  • Clinical science
    • Extended reports

Optic nerve compression by normal carotid artery in patients with normal tension glaucoma

  1. N Ogata1,*,
  2. M Imaizumi1,*,
  3. H Kurokawa2,*,
  4. M Arichi1,
  5. M Matsumura1
  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan
  2. 2Department of Radiology, Osaka Saiseikai Izuo Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan
  1. Correspondence to: Nahoko Ogata MD PhD Department of Ophthalmology Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8507, Japan; ogatatakii.kmu.ac.jp
  • Accepted 7 July 2004

Abstract

Aim: To determine whether compression of the optic nerve by the intracranial carotid artery (ICA) can be a causative factor of normal tension glaucoma (NTG).

Methods: The medical records of 103 eyes of 54 Japanese patients with NTG and 104 eyes of 52 age matched control patients were reviewed. The neuroradiological findings of magnetic resonance images (MRI) were evaluated to determine the relation between the optic nerve and ICA. The clinical characteristics and general medical conditions, such as diabetes and systemic hypertension, were also compared between the two groups.

Results: The prevalence of optic nerve compression by the ICA in patients with NTG was 49.5%, which was significantly higher than that in control group with 34.6% (p  = 0.035). Bilateral compression of the optic nerve was detected in 22 patients with NTG (40.7%), and this was also significantly higher (p  = 0.029) than that in the control group (11 patients, 21.2%). In the NTG group, eyes with cup/disc ratio (C/D ratio) ≥0.7 showed a higher percentage of compression (52.6%) compared with eyes with C/D ratio of <0.7 (12.5%; p  = 0. 042). The presence of diabetes and hypertension did not affect the incidence of optic nerve compression by ICA significantly.

Conclusions: The significantly higher percentage of NTG patients who had optic nerve compression by the ICA suggests that compression of the optic nerve by ICA may be a possible causative factor or a risk factor for optic nerve damage in some patients with NTG.

Footnotes

  • ↵* These authors contributed equally to this manuscript.

Responses to this article

  • Normal tension glaucoma: Authors' reply
    • Nahoko Ogata
    Br J Ophthalmol published online September 14, 2009
  • Normal Tension Glaucoma
    • Michael C Brodsky
    Br J Ophthalmol published online September 14, 2009

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.