Relationship between corneal hysteresis and optic nerve parameters measured with spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Background

Corneal hysteresis (CH) has been associated with visual field damage in glaucoma and is related to the velocity of perimetric glaucoma progression. We undertook this investigation to determine whether CH is associated with structural markers of glaucoma damage on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Methods

In this retrospective study, 131 patients under glaucoma evaluation were evaluated with SD-OCT (Cirrus; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) and had CH measurements with the ocular response analyzer (Reichert, Inc., Buffalo, NY). Pearson and partial correlation adjusting for age were preformed to examine the association between CH and variables of interest. Generalized estimating equations were used to construct simple and multiple linear models.

Results

While Pearson correlations were modest overall, CH best correlated with mean deviation (MD; r?=?0.19) followed by average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (r?=?0.18) and vertical cup to disc ratio (r?=??0.11) in the open angle glaucoma group. In univariable models, CH varied as a function of MD (ß?=?0.1, 95 % CI 0.03, 0.1; p?ß?=?0.2, 95 % CI 0.1, 0.4; p?=?0.001). In a multivariable analysis including MD, age, average RNFL thickness, and glaucoma status, MD (p?=?0.001) and age (p?Conclusions In patients under evaluation and treatment for glaucoma, CH was more closely related to visual field MD than to structural markers of glaucoma damage as measured by SD-OCT.