Altered Ocular Microvasculature in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis and Very Early Disease of Systemic Sclerosis Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2022 Jun 29

PMID 35768479

Authors

Natasa Mihailovic

Larissa Lahme

Sonja Braasch

Friederike Rosenberger

Nicole Eter

Jan Ehrchen

Maged Alnawaiseh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The vascular hypothesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) would predict microvascular alterations should also affect anatomical regions like ocular microvasculature. The objective of this study was to evaluate retinal and choriocapillary vessel density (VD) in patients with definite SSc and very early disease of systemic sclerosis (VEDOSS) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). 22 eyes of 22 patients and 22 eyes of 22 healthy subjects were included in this study. Patients were classified into patients with definite SSc and patients with VEDOSS. VD data of the superficial OCT angiogram (OCTA-SCP), deep OCT angiogram (OCTA-DCP) and choriocapillaris (OCTA-CC) were analysed. VD in the OCTA-SCP and OCTA-CC was lower in patients with SSc (p < 0.05). In VEDOSS patients, VD in the OCTA-CC was still reduced compared to controls (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between nailfold capillaroscopy and VD of OCTA-CC (Spearman correlation coefficient (rSp) 0.456, p < 0.05) and a negative correlation between skin score and VD of OCTA-SCP (p < 0.05). Ocular perfusion seems to be impaired in patients with SSc and even VEDOSS. VD correlated with disease severity. OCTA could be a new useful diagnostic and predictive parameter for monitoring patients with different stages of the disease.

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