Maneli Mozaffarieh
Limmat Eye Center & University of Basel, Switzerland
Title: New insights in the pathogenesis of normal tension glaucoma
Biography
Biography: Maneli Mozaffarieh
Abstract
Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for glaucomatous damage and reducing IOP improves prognosis. Nevertheless, there is little doubt that other risk factors besides IOP such as unstable ocular perfusion are involved. Blood flow is unstable if either the IOP fluctuates at a high level (or blood pressure fluctuates at a low level) or if the autoregulation of blood flow is disturbed. A common cause for a disturbed OBF autoregulation is a primary vascular dysregulation (PVD) also known as the Flammer-syndrome (FS), frequently observed in normal tension glaucoma patients. Patients with FS commonly have increased retinal venous pressures as measured by means of ophthalmodynamometry. An unstable blood flow leads to recurrent mild reperfusion injury (chronic oxidative stress) affecting particularly the mitochondria of the optic nerve head.