ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Purpose: In this study, we aimed to show whether a difference exists between retinal and choroidal microcirculation findings between patients with familial Mediterranean fever and healthy controls. Methods: Thirty-two patients with familial Mediterranean fever and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. All the patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including best-corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure measurement. The AngioVue optical coherence tomography angiography device (Optovue, Fremont, CA) with split-spectrum amplitude-decorrelation angiography was used to evaluate and examine the retinal microvascular structure. Three-dimensional en face Optical coherence tomography angiography images were obtained by examining the macula using the 3 x 3 mm scanning protocol in the Angio Retina mode and the optic nerve using the 3 x 3 mm scanning protocol in the Angio Disk mode. All the patients' right eyes were examined. Results: A total of 62 subjects were included in the study, of whom 32 (53.3%) were female and 30 (46.7%) were male. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of optic nerve head or radial peripapillary capillary vessel density. On examination, the superficial capillary plexuses were statistically similar between the two groups, but the deep capillary plexus vessel density in the parafovea, superior hemi, temporal, and superior areas were significantly lower in the patients with familial Mediterranean fever. Conclusions: We found that the capillary plexus vessel density was significantly lower in the parafovea, superior hemi, temporal, and superior regions in the patients with familial Mediterranean fever than in the control group. Therefore, OCTA, a noninvasive study, may be useful for understanding the systemic effects of familial Mediterranean fever.
RESUMO Objetivos: Este estudo teve como objetivo mostrar se há diferença entre os achados da microcirculação retiniana e coroidal entre pacientes com febre mediterrânica familiar e um grupo controle saudável. Métodos: Trinta e dois pacientes com febre mediterrânica familiar e 30 controles saudáveis foram incluídos neste estudo. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a um exame oftalmológico completo, incluindo a acuidade visual melhor corrigida e medida da pressão intraocular. O aparelho AngioVue Optical coherence tomography angiography (Optovue, Fremont, CA) com angiografia de correlação de amplitude de espectro dividido foi utilizado para avaliar e examinar a estrutura microvascular da retina. As angiotomografias de coerência ópticas en face tridimensionais foram obtidas examinando o protocolo de varredura macular 3 x 3 mm (modo angio retina) e o nervo óptico com o protocolo de varredura 3 x 3 mm (modo angio-disco). Todos os olhos direitos dos pacientes foram examinados. Resultados: Foram incluídos neste estudo, 62 sujeitos, dos quais 32 (53,3%) eram do sexo feminino e 30 (46,7%) do sexo masculino. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os dois grupos quanto à densidade dos vasos da cabeça do nervo óptico ou da densidade dos vasos capilares peripapilares radiais. Durante o exame, os plexos capilares superficiais foram estatisticamente semelhantes entre esses dois grupos, mas a densidade profunda dos vasos do plexo capilar nas areas parafovea, hemi superior, temporal e superior foram significativamente menores nos pacientes com febre mediterrânica familiar. Conclusões: Verificamos que a densidade dos vasos do plexo capilar foi significativamente menor nas regiões parafovea, hemi superior, temporal e superior em pacientes com febre mediterrânica familiar em comparação com o grupo controle. Portanto, pode ser útil usar a angiotomografia de coerência óptica, por tratar-se de um estudo não invasivo, para melhor compreensão dos efeitos sistêmicos da febre mediterrânica familiar.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To observe the effects of caffeine intake on vessel densities in macular and peripapillary regions and to analyze the correlations of vascular properties of these two interlinked regions in healthy volunteers using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: In this prospective randomized, double?masked, placebo?controlled study, 120 participants were grouped into two groups: sixty subjects as a study group, which received caffeine and sixty subjects as a placebo group, which received a placebo. OCTA imaging was performed at baseline and 1 h after drug intake. Changes in macular and radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) vessel densities (VD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters and correlation of these parameters were analyzed. Results: Baseline macular and RPC VD and FAZ parameters showed no significant difference between study and placebo groups (P > 0.05 for all). VD parameters in all segments of superficial and deep macular regions and peripapillary region showed a statistically significant decrease after caffeine intake (P < 0.001 for all). All macular superficial VD parameters showed a positive correlation with deep perifovea VD (P < 0.05 for all). Also, superficial perifovea VD was positively correlated with all deep macular VD parameters except deep fovea VD (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: We show that caffeine causes a decrease in macular and peripapillary vessel densities in healthy subjects, and correlations were observed between macular and peripapillary VD parameters. We believe that future studies are needed to support the effect of caffeine on peripapillary VD and the idea of using deep perifovea VD as the main parameter to estimate superficial macular parameters.