Association Between Platelet Function and Disc Hemorrhage in Patients With Normal-Tension Glaucoma: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose To evaluate the association between platelet function and disc hemorrhage in patients with normal-tension glaucoma. Design Prospective, cross-sectional study. Methods Study involved a total of 315 subjects, including patients with normal-tension glaucoma and disc hemorrhage (n = 120), patients with normal-tension glaucoma without disc hemorrhage (n = 75), and healthy individuals (control group, n = 120). A detailed eye examination including visual field testing, color disc photography, optical coherence tomography scanning, and measurement of collagen/epinephrine closure time using a platelet function analyzer were performed for all subjects. Results The collagen/epinephrine closure time (s) as measured by the platelet function analyzer was approximately 14%–24% longer in the normal-tension glaucoma and disc hemorrhage group compared with the other groups (141.92 ± 53.44 [with normal-tension glaucoma and disc hemorrhage] vs 124.60 ± 46.72 [with normal-tension glaucoma without disc hemorrhage] vs 114.84 ± 34.84 [healthy individuals], 1-way analysis of variance test, P Conclusions Our results suggest that platelet function is significantly associated with disc hemorrhage in patients with normal-tension glaucoma. Delayed absorption resulted from prolonged bleeding due to delayed platelet aggregation may have an effect on the detectability of disc hemorrhage in patients with normal-tension glaucoma.