Vojnosanitetski pregled 2013 Volume 70, Issue 5, Pages: 469-476
https://doi.org/10.2298/VSP1305469S
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The influence of retrobulbar adipose tissue volume upon intraocular pressure in obesity
Stojanov Oliver (Department of Ophthalmology, Health Center “Novi Sad”, Novi Sad)
Stokić Edita (Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Department of Endocrinology, Novi Sad)
Šveljo Olivera (Institute of Oncology of Vojvodina, Imaging Diagnostic Center, Sremska Kamenica)
Naumović Nada (Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Novi Sad)
Background/Aim. It is known that glaucoma is associated with elevated
intraocular pressure and obesity, yet the precise etiology remains unclear.
The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a potential causality
between the volume of retrobulbar adipose tissue and the level of intraocular
pressure in obese subjects compared with non-obese. Methods. A total of 100
subjects were divided according to the body mass index (BMI), into two
groups: normal weight (n = 50, BMI = 18-24.9 kg/m2) and obese (n = 50, BMI ≥
30 kg/m2) subjects. Anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis,
measurement of intraocular pressure, as well as magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) of the head at the level of the optic nerve, and the derived
retrobulbar adipose tissue volume, were undertaken in all subjects. Results.
The obese subjects, as compared with normal weight ones, had a significantly
higher mean retrobulbar adipose tissue volume (6.23 cm3 vs 4.85 cm3, p <
0.01) and intraocular pressure (15.96 mmHg vs 12.99 mmHg, p < 0.01).
Furthermore, intraocular pressure correlated positively with retrobulbar
adipose tissue volume. Conclusion. In obese people, elevated intraocular
pressure may be caused by changes in ocular blood flow, affected by the
physical pressure exerted by higher retrobulbar adiposity, and/or by internal
vascular changes secondary to complications of obesity. These findings
indicate the need for more frequent measurement of intraocular pressure in
obese individuals to earlier detect glaucoma, and in so doing prevent
irreversible blindness.
Keywords: orbit, adipose tissue, intraocular pressure, obesity, magnetic resonance imaging, glaucoma