Carotid Artery Atheromatosis Detected With Doppler Ultrasonography In Patients
With Normal Tension Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the world, affecting approximately 60
million people. In this disease there is a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and their
axons associating remodeling of the Optic Nerve Head.
Left without control this disease produces progressive visual field deterioration
in the area of anatomical ONH and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer.
It is a multifactorial disease, with pathogenic mechanisms not fully
understood. Intraocular pressure is the most important factor in the development and
progression of glaucoma, but reducing IOP does not mean ending of the disease. Some patients
suffer from glaucoma progression despite low IOP.
Normal Tension Glaucoma is an optic progressive neuropathy with IOP lower
than 21 mm HG, with no known cause. Diagnosis is established once other optic neuropathies
have been excluded. One of the proposed pathogenetic mechanisms in the development of
the disease is the reduction in ocular and cerebral blood flow.
It could be a manifestation of either intracranial or systemic vasculopathy
rather than an isolated orbitary process. Coexistent micro- and macro-vascular
disorders have been observed in NTG patients. The impact of these
alterations and the relationship between them are in part unknown.
Atheromatous plaques were present in 47 patients (77%).
Twenty-nine patients (41%) had calcific plaques and 18 patients
(29%), fibro-lipidic plaques.
Two patients (3%) had complete occlusion of one of their ICA. Two patients (3%) presented
significant stenosis (higher than 70%) of at least one of the ICA; 7 patients (11%) presented
carotid luminal reduction between 50- 69%; 50 patients (82%) had 0-49% reduction of ICA diameters.
Neuro Open J. 2016; 3(1): 1-2. doi: 10.17140/NOJ-3-120
