Analysis of Systemic Risk Factorsin Normal Tension Glaucoma.

Oh, Jung Woo; Ahn, Myung Douk; Park, Chan Kee

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1999;40(8):2239-2244.
Published online August 1, 1999.

Analysis of Systemic Risk Factorsin Normal Tension Glaucoma.

Jung Woo Oh, Myung Douk Ahn, Chan Kee Park

Department of Ophthalmology, Kangnam St.Mary`s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

정상안압 녹내장에서의 전신적 위험요소에 대한 분석

오정우(Jung Woo Oh),안명덕(Myung Douk Ahn),박찬기(Chan Kee Park)

Abstract

It has been suggested that normal tension glaucoma could be the result of pressure independent factors. One of the current theories is that normal tension glaucoma is the result of decreased optic nerve perfusion on the basis of vascular disease or other systemic factors such as altered blood viscosity or coagulation state. This study compared the vascular viscosity profiles, coagulation tests, and biochemical tests of 30 consecutive cases of normal tension glaucoma with 30 control cases to evaluate association of particular systemic state with normal tension glaucoma in Korean population. The data of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly higher in the normal tension glaucoma group than in the control group. But there were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the many other factors examined. These results support the vascular ischmic theory due to hyperlipidemia in the pathogenesis of the normal tension glaucoma. Inadequate circulation of optic nerve due to atherosclerotic change might play an important role in the pathogenesis of normal tension glaucoma.

Key Words: Hyperlipidemia;Normal tension glaucoma;Optic nerve perfusion;Vascular ischmic theory