No Evidence for Retinal Damage Evolving from Reduced Retinal Blood Flow in Carotid Artery Disease

Overview

Journal Biomed Res Int

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology
General Medicine

Date 2015 Nov 12

PMID 26558275

Citations 16

Authors

Henning Hessler

Hanna Zimmermann

Timm Oberwahrenbrock

Ella Maria Kadas

Janine Mikolajczak

Alexander U Brandt

Andreas Kauert

Friedemann Paul

Stephan J Schreiber

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Carotid artery disease (CAD) comprising high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis (CAS) or carotid artery occlusion (CAO) may lead to ipsilateral impaired cerebral blood flow and reduced retinal blood supply.

Objective: To examine the influence of chronic CAD on retinal blood flow, retinal morphology, and visual function.

Methods: Patients with unilateral CAS ≥ 50% (ECST criteria) or CAO were grouped according to the grade of the stenosis and to the flow direction of the ophthalmic artery (OA). Retinal perfusion was measured by transorbital duplex ultrasound, assessing central retinal artery (CRA) blood flow velocities. In addition, optic nerve and optic nerve sheath diameter were measured. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed to study retinal morphology. Visual function was assessed using high- and low-contrast visual paradigms.

Results: Twenty-seven patients were enrolled. Eyes with CAS ≥ 80%/CAO and retrograde OA blood flow showed a significant reduction in CRA peak systolic velocity (no-CAD side: 0.130 ± 0.035 m/s, CAS/CAO side: 0.098 ± 0.028; p = 0.005; n = 12). OCT, optic nerve thicknesses, and visual functional parameters did not show a significant difference.

Conclusion: Despite assessable hemodynamic effects, chronic high-grade CAD does not lead to gaugeable morphological or functional changes of the retina.

Citing Articles

Application of the full-width-at-half-maximum image segmentation method to analyse retinal vascular changes in patients with internal carotid artery stenosis.

Jiang L, Liu M, Yu M, Lu W, Zhang Z, Tong Y Front Cell Dev Biol. 2024; 12:1467374.

PMID: 39224436 PMC: 11366705. DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1467374.

Influence of Carotid Artery Stenting on the Retina and Choroid.

Cao L, Wu J, Wang H, Kwapong W, Yan Y, Wan J Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2024; 13(8):5.

PMID: 39093294 PMC: 11305422. DOI: 10.1167/tvst.13.8.5.

Changes in the retina and choroid in patients with internal carotid artery stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hou X, Jie C, Liu Z, Bi X, Deng Y, Li Y Front Neurosci. 2024; 18:1368957.

PMID: 38686328 PMC: 11056587. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1368957.

Length of Carotid Plaque Impacts Retinal Microvascular Densities of Carotid Artery Stenosis Patients.

Cao L, Wang H, Kwapong W, Wang R, Liu J, Wu B Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2023; 12(9):3.

PMID: 37672253 PMC: 10484014. DOI: 10.1167/tvst.12.9.3.

Retinal microvasculature and cerebral hemodynamics in patients with internal carotid artery stenosis.

Liu J, Wan J, Kwapong W, Tao W, Ye C, Liu M BMC Neurol. 2022; 22(1):386.

PMID: 36229769 PMC: 9559035. DOI: 10.1186/s12883-022-02908-7.

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