Clinical Study
Eye (2007) 21, 506–511. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6702242; published online 3 February 2006
Pulsatile ocular blood flow in asymmetric age-related macular degeneration
This work has been presented as a poster at the European association for Vision and Eye Research, Vilamoura, Portugal in September 2004
R Sandhu1, S Sivaprasad1, S P Shah2, T Adewoyin1 and N V Chong1
- 1Retinal Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK
- 2Clinical Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Correspondence: NV Chong, Retinal Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Normanby Building, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS, UK. Tel: +44 7346 4548; Fax: +44 7346 3738; E-mail: victor@eretina.org
Received 19 July 2005; Revised 24 October 2005; Accepted 28 November 2005; Published online 3 February 2006.
Abstract
Purpose
Ocular perfusion abnormalities have been proposed in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with differences in pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF) in eyes with asymmetric AMD in Japanese and Taiwanese patients. The purpose of our study was to observe POBF difference in the fellow eyes of Caucasians with asymmetric AMD.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study comparing POBF in three groups of patients with asymmetric AMD in the fellow eyes: Group 1 (n=21) with drusen and active choroidal neovascularisation (CNV); Group 2 (n=18) with drusen and disciform scar; Group 3 (n=8) with CNV and disciform scar. The POBF was adjusted for intraocular pressure (IOP), pulse rate (PR), and axial length using multiple regression analysis. Generalised estimation equation model was used to include both eyes in each group.
Results
The geometric mean (95% confidence interval) POBF values were as follows: Group 1with drusen 1097.9 
l/min (957.0, 1259.7) in one eye and the fellow eye with CNV 1090.1 l/min (932.3, 1274.7); Group2 with drusen 946.0 l/min (794.2, 1126.7) and disciform scar 966.2 l/min (780.3, 1196.4); Group3 with CNV 877.1 l/min (628.3, 1224.6) and disciform scar 767.2 l/min (530.5, 1109.7). Adjusting for differences in axial length, pulse rate and intraocular pressure, no statistically significant difference in POBF was found between fellow eyes in the same subject.
Conclusions
POBF is not different between fellow eyes of Caucasian patients with asymmetric AMD.
Keywords:
pulsatile ocular blood flow, asymmetric age-related macular degeneration, choroidal blood flow
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