The prevalence of PXF in the Burmese population is greater than previously reported in other East Asian populations. Increasing age and IOP are the strongest predictors of PXF, and it is associated with cataract, occludable angles and blindness.

Pulse wave attenuation characteristics reflect compliance and resistance properties of the vessel wall as well as initial pulse generation factors. Recently, it has become possible to measure and map the retinal vessel wall pulse wave amplitudes. Predictable pulse wave amplitude distribution may allow inferences to be made concerning vascular compliance and resistance. Twenty-eight eyes from sixteen subjects (8 male and 8 female) were examined using modified retinal photoplethysmography with simultaneous ophthalmodynamometry. This allowed the assessment of vessel wall pulsation amplitudes under a dynamic range of intraocular pressures. Pulse amplitudes were calculated using harmonic regression analysis. The pulse wave attenuation was measured under different ranges of ophthalmodynamometric force (ODF) as a function of distance along the vessel (V Dist ), which in turn was calculated in disc diameters (DD) from the center of the optic disc. A linear mixed-effects model with randomized slopes and intercepts was used to estimate the correlations between the logarithmically transformed harmonic regression wave amplitude (HRW a ) and the Fourier trigonometric coefficients with the predictors (V Dist and ODF). The retinal venous harmonic regression wave attenuation (coefficient value±standard error) -0.40±0.065/DD, (p-value < 0.00001, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.53 to -0.27), which was approximately twice that of the arterial -0.17±0.048/DD, (p-value < 0.0004, 95% CI = -0.27 to -0.08). There was a positive correlation between attenuation of the harmonic regression wave and ophthalmodynamometric force in both vascular systems. The attenuation of all but the sine coefficient of the second Fourier harmonic (b n2 ) achieved statistical significance in the correlation with V Dist . The cosine coefficient of the first Fourier harmonic a n1 was the only coefficient to achieve statistical significance in the correlation with the predictors V Dist and ODF in both vascular systems. The a n1 coefficient value in the correlation with V Dist was -3.79±0.78 and -1.269±0.37 (p < 0.0006), while this coefficient value in the correlation with ODF was 0.026±0.0099 and 0.009±0.04 (p < 0.01) in both the retinal veins and arteries respectively. The predictable attenuation characteristics in normal subjects suggest that this technique may allow the non-invasive quantification of retinal vascular compliance and other hemodynamic parameters.

PurposeRetinal venous pulsation detection is a subjective sign, which varies in elevated intracranial pressure, venous obstruction and glaucoma. To date no method can objectively measure and identify pulsating regions.MethodUsing high resolution video-recordings of the optic disk and retina we measured fluctuating light absorption by haemoglobin during pulsation. Pulsation amplitude was calculated from all regions of the retinal image video-frames in a raster pattern. Segmented retinal images were formed by objectively selecting regions with amplitudes above a range of threshold values. These were compared to two observers manually drawing an outline of the pulsating areas while viewing video-clips in order to generate receiver operator characteristics.Results216,515 image segments were analysed from 26 eyes in 18 research participants. Using data from each eye, the median area under the receiver operator curve (AU-ROC) was 0.95. With all data analysed together the AU-ROC was 0.89. We defined the ideal threshold amplitude for detection of any pulsating segment being that with maximal sensitivity and specificity. This was 5 units (95% confidence interval 4.3 to 6.0) compared to 12 units before any regions were missed. A multivariate model demonstrated that ideal threshold amplitude increased with increased variation in video-sequence illumination (p = 0.0119), but between the two observers (p = 0.0919) or other variables.ConclusionThis technique demonstrates accurate identification of retinal vessel pulsating regions with no areas identified manually being missed with the objective technique. The amplitude values are derived objectively and may be a significant advance upon subjective ophthalmodynamometric threshold techniques.

Intracranial pressure (ICP) includes the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord pressures; it influences blood flow to those structures. Pathological elevation in ICP results in structural damage through various mechanisms, which adversely affects outcomes in traumatic brain injury and stroke. Currently, invasive procedures which tap directly into the cerebrospinal fluid are required to measure this pressure. Recent fluidic engineering modelling analogous to the ocular vascular flow suggests that retinal venous pulse amplitudes are predictably influenced by downstream pressures, suggesting that ICP could be estimated by analysing this pulse signal. We used this modelling theory and our photoplethysmographic (PPG) retinal venous pulse amplitude measurement system to measure amplitudes in 30 subjects undergoing invasive ICP measurements by lumbar puncture (LP) or external ventricular drain (EVD). We estimated ICP from these amplitudes using this modelling and found it to be accurate with a mean absolute error of 3.0 mmHg and a slope of 1.00 (r = 0.91). Ninety-four percent of differences between the PPG and invasive method were between − 5.5 and + 4.0 mmHg, which compares favourably to comparisons between LP and EVD. This type of modelling may be useful for understanding retinal vessel pulsatile fluid dynamics and may provide a method for non-invasive ICP measurement.