Advertisement

PentaVision

Optometric Management

Article

When Glaucoma Is Complicated by Vascular Issues, Where Do You Look for Damage?

Patients often have multiple diseases when they present for an evaluation, and we need to be aware of the implications of those diseases on the patient’s eye health

By: James L. Fanelli, OD, FAAO
Optometric Management March 6, 2025
5 Key Takeaways

  • 1

    Patients with glaucoma often have comorbid systemic and ophthalmic diseases that complicate monitoring and treatment.

  • 2

    Branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) can significantly affect the ability to assess glaucomatous damage in affected eyes.

  • 3

    The Spectralis OCT with GMPE software allows for detailed evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer and neuroretinal rim in glaucoma patients.

  • 4

    Loss of ganglion cell layer thickness due to BRAO can hinder the monitoring of glaucoma progression in affected areas.

  • 5

    Evaluating the neuroretinal rim at the optic nerve head remains crucial for assessing glaucomatous damage in the presence of confounding factors.