Abstract:

Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is a special subtype of glaucoma, of which the pathogenesis is still not clear and the clinical course is asymptomatic and insidious. NTG is potentially blinding and responds insufficiently to current intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering therapies. NTG may be closely related to systemic hypotension, narrow systemic or local blood vessels, abnormal blood flow of the eye, decreased optic nerve head blood perfusion, and abnormal vascular regulation. We postulate that the pathogenesis of NTG is highly related to decreased blood perfusion to the optic nerve head and lamina cribrosa, which may result in compromised resistance of lamina cribrosa to normal IOP.(Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2019, 43: 411-415)