Objective: The cribriform plate is a threshold of the intraocular pressure (VOT) and of the intracranial pressure (IKT). The difference between the VOT and IKT is referred to as translaminar gradient (TLG). The goal was to evaluate the Glaucoma progression (visual field, fundus examination, HRT) with / without topical anti-glaucomatous therapy) in relation to the TLG.
Patients and methods: the significance of TLG has been studied in two groups. I. Group: 57 patients diagnosed and treatment of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (PGOU), 10 patients with Ocular hypertension (OH), 7 patients with Normal-Tension Glaucoma (NTG), and 75 healthy without glaucoma. The examinations of TLG were carried out once and retrospectively. In II. group there were prospectively studied 14 patients with OH and 24 patients with newly detected PGOU without local therapy. The examinations were performed 4 times at intervals of 10 to 11 months. All tests included a basic eye examination, ORA tonometry, HRT examination, gonioscopy, Color Doppler sonography of blood vessels of the eye and orbit. Venous pulsation pressure (VPT) has been recorded by the Ophthalmodynamometer Meditron (D-ODM). In case of pontaneous retinal venous pulsation, VPT was considered as the same pressure as the VOT. The TLG was calculated with formula of Querfurth: ICT = 0.29 + 0.74 (VOT / PI (AO)). [PI(AO) – Pulsatility index of the Ophthalmic artery (AO)].
Results: I. group: TLG was in the control group without Glaucoma: 12.2 ± 2.0 torr. The NTG group: 9.0 ± 1.70 mm Hg. PGOU: 11.1 ± 1.91 mm Hg. OH: 12.6 ± 0.85 mm Hg. IKT alone does not show a significant relationship to the presence of glaucoma, ocular hypertension. II. Group: The average TLG in Ocular Hypertension (14 patients) has been 3.8 ± 1.2 torr. 2 patients (OH) had TLG 10 torr. and 15 torr. After 4 years in one of them (TLG = 15 torr.) there was recorded Glaucoma progression. In the PGOU group before antiglaucoma therapy, TLG was 15.0 ± 4.8 torr for all patients. After setting up local anti-glaucoma therapy and decreasing VOT, the TLG in 20 patients reduced to 3.6 ± 1.3 mm Hg.
Conclusion: TLG showed a significant relationship to the Glaucoma progression. The risk of glaucomatous damage increases proportionally with increasing Translaminar gradient. Translaminar gradient can be use to refine the so-called. “Target VOT”. TLG has a role in ocular damage (ocular hypertension, glaucoma, vascular occlusion, optic neuropathy), intracranial damage, orbitopathy, selection of appropriate antiglaucomatous therapy.