Korean researchers found larger corneal hysteresis changes in patients with early-to-moderate open-angle glaucoma (OAG) indicate a higher risk of glaucoma progression in those with a history of laser refractive surgery (LRS).  

Corneal hysteresis (CH), a measure of the corneal tissue’s ability to flex and absorb energy, has previously been shown to be independently predictive of visual field progression in glaucoma. 

Writing in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers from the Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, evaluated 123 eyes with a diagnosis of medically controlled (peak intraocular pressure (IOP) <18 mmHg), early-to-moderate OAG with a history of LRS. Measurements of CH, corneal-compensated IOP and RNFL thicknesses were recorded every six months. Of those eyes, 24.4% demonstrated RNFL loss and, although no statistically significant difference was found in IOP, a significantly greater decrease in CH was noted in the progression group. Patients with the greatest relative CH decrease over time were 1.7 times more likely to present with RNFL loss, they said.