AUTHOR=Zhang Juntao , Lu Qinkang , Yu Huilei , Liu Bowen , Yang Jingwen , Wang Tianyu , Wang Fang TITLE=Macular vascular density changes in different stages of chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025 YEAR=2025 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1620673 DOI=10.3389/fmed.2025.1620673 ISSN=2296-858X ABSTRACT=ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate differences in macular vascular density (MVD) between individuals with chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma (CPACG) and healthy controls, as well as to evaluate cross-sectional changes in MVD at various stages of CPACG.MethodThis is a retrospective study based on the epidemiological survey of eye diseases in the local community, including 47 eyes of CPACG subjects (20 eyes at the early stage and 27 eyes at the middle-to-severe stages). All subjects underwent optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) imaging to detect MVD, as well as macular retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate other ophthalmic indicators related to vascular density loss.ResultsCompared to the control group, the MVD in CPACG eyes significantly declined by 11.5% in the superficial capillary plexus (p = 0.012) and 6.8% in the deep capillary plexus. Single correlation analysis showed that MVD in CPACG eyes was significantly correlated with axial length (r = 0.493, p = 0.036), RNFL thickness (r = 0.488, p = 0.047), and mean deviation of the visual field (r = −0.546, p = 0.010). In addition, multiple regression analysis also suggested that MVD was positively correlated with GCL/RNFL thickness and negatively correlated with the mean deviation of the visual field (p = 0.004).ConclusionOur study demonstrated that OCTA was a valuable tool for detecting vascular deterioration in CPACG eyes, with a stronger association between MVD and visual field damage. Further research is warranted to explore the potential of MVD as a biomarker for glaucoma progression.