Evaluation Of Carotid Artery Abnormalities By Duplex Doppler Sonography In Clinically Diagnosed Glaucoma Patients Compared With Age Matched Controls.

Abstract

Background Glaucoma is a chronic, progressive optic neuropathy caused by multi-factorial aetiology which leads to damage of the optic nerve & produces visual field damage resulting in a characteristic appearance of the optic disc. The overall prevalence of glaucoma in Asia has been found to be in between 2.1% to 5%. The average age of all patients with glaucoma is between 56.05 years to 57.83 years. The fact that the retro bulbar circulation originates from internal carotid arteries which are directly accessible to ultrasound study through grey scale, colour Doppler flow imaging (CDI) & spectral Doppler imaging gives us a potential tool for the evaluation of early changes in vascular flow related to glaucoma. The present study aims to evaluate the carotid artery abnormalities by sonography in glaucoma patients & age matched controls.