Estimated intracranial pressure in glaucoma patients and its correlation with disease severity.

PURPOSE

To compare the intracranial pressure (ICP) and the translaminar pressure difference (TLPD) between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and non-glaucoma subjects and to assess the correlation between the ICP (and TLPD) and glaucoma severity.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study. Patients with POAG and age-matched controls were included. ICP was calculated using proxy algorithm to attain indirect surrogate parameter values. Differences were compared between groups. The correlation between ICP (and TLPD) and both structural and functional variables was evaluated using linear and non-linear regression analysis and estimated with Pearson's correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

Fifty patients with POAG and 25 normal controls were included. The mean estimated ICP was lower in POAG (10.9 ± 3.2 mmHg) as compared to controls (15.0 ± 3.7 mmHg,  < 0.001). The TLPD was higher in POAG (2.6 ± 4.1 mmHg) when compared to non-glaucoma (-0.3 ± 3.6 mmHg,  = 0.002). ICP displayed a negative correlation with cup-to-disk ratio (r = -0.566; 95% CI, -0.699 to -0.369, '0.000) and a positive correlation with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness ( = 0.441; 95% CI, 0.230 to 0.612; '0.000). There was a positive correlation between ICP and mean deviation ( = 0.280; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.482,  = 0.017).

CONCLUSION

Glaucoma patients presented lower ICP values; lower ICP values were associated with more advanced disease. These observations strengthen the role of ICP as a potential player on the glaucoma pathogeny.