Retrobulbar circulation of the glaucomatous eyes with optic disc hemorrhage analysis by color doppler imaging

Purpose: To evaluate the retrobulbar blood flow velocities of glaucoma patients who had optic disc hemorrhage {ODH), comparing with those who did not have Methods. Patients with glaucoma who presented ODH were consecutively recruited from a private clinic of glaucoma and submitted to a Color Doppler imaging evaluation of their retrobulbar vessels, measuring the peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity and calculated the resistance index in the central retinal artery, one temporal short posterior ciliary artery and ophthalmic artery. A group of patients with glaucoma who never had a ODH spotted and a group of normal subjects were submitted to the same test, as controls groups. Results 15 glaucomatous patients with ODH, 13 glaucomatous patients without ODH and 10 normal subjects were recruited. The gender distribution and age in the three groups were similar. The analysis of the retrobulbar blood flow velocities of the vessels studied in the three did not show statistically significant differences, except for the peak systolic velocity of the central retinal artery, which was significantly higher in the normals, compared with the two groups of glaucoma patients. Conclusions No particular abnormality was observed in the retrobulbar blood flow velocity of patients with ODH.