Association Between Progressive Retinal Capillary Density Loss and Visual Field Progression in Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients According to Disease Stage.

PURPOSE: To investigate the longitudinal changes in circumpapillary capillary density (cpCD) and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT) and their association with visual field (VF) progression in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) eyes at different stages of glaucoma.

DESIGN

Retrospective, observational case series

METHODS

This study enrolled 158 eyes of 158 OAG patients classified into early (89 eyes) and moderate-to-advanced (69 eyes) stage based on VF mean deviation (MD; -6 dB). Serial cpCD and cpRNFLT measurements were performed using optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography and OCT during a mean follow-up of 2.66 years. The reference standard of glaucoma progression was determined by VF progression. The rates of longitudinal change in cpCD and cpRNFLT were evaluated using linear mixed effects models and compared between progressors and nonprogressors. The factors associated with VF progression, including the rates of longitudinal change in cpCD and cpRNFLT, were assessed using logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

The rate of longitudinal change in cpCD was significantly faster in progressors (-1.25% ± 1.15% per year for early stage and -1.61% ± 1.04% per year for moderate-to-advanced stage) than in nonprogressors (0.04% ± 1.12% per year for early stage and -0.34% ± 0.97% per year for moderate-to-advanced stage) regardless of glaucoma stage (all, P < .05). The rates of longitudinal change in cpRNFLT (-0.85 ± 1.20 µm/y vs -0.70 ± 1.02 µm/y, P = .396) did not differ between progressors and nonprogressors in eyes with moderate-to-advanced glaucoma. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, a faster rate of cpCD loss (odds ratio [OR] 0.244, P = .009) had a significant association with VF progression in eyes with moderate-to-advanced glaucoma, whereas faster rates of both cpCD (OR 0.340, P = .012) and cpRNFLT (OR 0.155, P = .031) loss were significantly associated with VF progression in eyes with early-stage glaucoma.

CONCLUSIONS

In OAG eyes, the rate of longitudinal cpCD loss was significantly associated with VF progression regardless of glaucoma stage.