Optic nerve compression by normal carotid artery in patients with normal tension glaucoma.

Vascular compression of the optic chiasm resembling glaucoma-like visual field defects.

• Vol 7 • October 2005 Normal-Tension Glaucoma Open-angle glaucoma with normal intraocular pressure, also known as normal-tension glaucoma, is estimated to constitute 10–25% of all glaucoma cases. NTG is a diagnostic challenge, as various lesions affecting the visual pathways including compression by normal or abnormal intracranial blood vessels can mimic its clinical findings. In recent years,...

Optic Neuropathy Mimicking Normal Tension Glaucoma Associated with Internal Carotid Artery Hypoplasia

Vascular Dysregulation in Normal-Tension Glaucoma Is Not Affected by Structure and Function of the Microcirculation or Macrocirculation at Rest

In normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), optic nerve damage occurs despite a normal intraocular pressure. Studies implicating systemic blood pressure or, more recently, arterial stiffness in the pathophysiology of NTG have produced conflicting results. Our aim was to investigate whether NTG is associated with alterations in the macrocirculation or microcirculation, cardiac function, and peripheral and...

Use of isolated ocular arteries in vitro to define the pathology of vascular changes in glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a disease in which there is a progressive loss of visual field and a characteristic alteration in the appearance of the optic nerve head. While the exact pathogenesis of this condition remains unclear, a significantly increased intraocular pressure (IOP) has been clearly shown to lead to damage to the optic nerve head, and current treatment for glaucoma consists almost entirely of i...

The Role of Retinal Oxidative and Nitrative Injury in Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration

The mechanical compression theory explaining the origin of glaucoma considers elevated intraocular pressure as the most important risk factor for the disease. This theory gives support to the essential signs of glaucomatous optic neuropathy, such as increased cupping and neuroretinal rim thinning but does not explain the existence of normal tension glaucoma. Alternatively, the vascular ischemia...