Evaluation of retrobulbar blood flow and choroidal thickness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Duru N., Altinkaynak H., Erten Ş., Can M.E., Duru Z., Uğurlu F.G., Çağıl N.

To investigate subfoveal and perifoveal choroidal thickness (CT) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).A study group of 117 patients with RA and a control group of 46 age-matched healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Subfoveal and perifoveal CTs were measured using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). Perifoveal CT was measured 1,500 µm nasally and 1,500 µm temporally apart from the foveal center. Relationship between the disease activity score 28 (DAS-28) and subfoveal CT was also evaluated.The mean subfoveal CT values in the study and control groups were 226.90 ± 43.61 μm and 299.74 ± 48.06 μm, respectively, which made for a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Likewise, perifoveal CT values were significantly thinner in the study group when compared with control group. DAS-28 wasn't correlated with subfoveal CT in the study group.CT was significantly thinner in patients with RA when compared with healthy controls.

Behdad B., Rahmani S., Montahaei T., Soheilian R., Soheilian M.

The purpose of this study was to describe the EDI-OCT findings in an acute phase of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO). A 24-year-old gentleman was referred to clinic complaining of progressive blurry vision of his right eye within last 3 days. He had a history of repaired corneoscleral laceration in his left eye followed by lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy approximately 1 month before his recent right eye discomfort. Physical examination revealed a granulomatous uveitis with an exudative RD of the right eye consistent with SO. EDI-OCT was done at initial exam and repeated 1 and 15 months after therapy. EDI-OCT 1 month following therapy showed significant improvement in choroidal thickening and outer retinal cell layers. The choroidal thickness in the right sympathizing eye decreased from 617 to 568 μm and in the left exciting eye from 539 to 521 μm. After 15 month follow-up, choroidal thickness that is reported in EDI-OCT is 436 μm in the right and 382 μm in the left eye. SO should be added to the list of choroidopathies that cause an increase in choroidal thickness in acute phase of disorder with subsequent decrease after therapy, so help us in assessing and estimation of response to treatment.

Hua R., Liu L., Li C., Chen L.

To evaluate the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CCSC) by measuring the mean choroidal thickness (MCT) and the lumen area of abnormal choroidal vessels (LAACV).A total of 36 eyes of 18 patients with monocular CCSC were included in this study. The CCSC eyes received PDT with a half dose (3mg/m(2)) of verteporfin and follow-up examinations were carried out for 3 months after PDT. The boundary of choroids and abnormal choroidal vessels (round or ovoid dark regions) were characterized using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography. The MCT and LAACV were analyzed by two investigators masked to the diagnosis and the treatment of CCSC using the Image Pro Plus 6.0 software.The MCT of CCSC eyes was significantly greater than that of normal eyes at baseline (P

Baltmr A., Lightman S., Tomkins-Netzer O.

The choroid is the vascular layer that supplies the outer retina and is involved in the pathogenesis of several ocular conditions including choroidal tumors, age related macular degeneration, central serous chorioretinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, and uveitis. Nevertheless, difficulties in the visualization of the choroid have limited our understanding of its exact role in ocular pathology. Enhanced depth imaging optical coherent topography (EDI-OCT) is a novel, noninvasive technique that is used to evaluate choroidal thickness and morphology in these diseases. The technique provides detailed objectivein vivovisualization of the choroid and can be used to characterize posterior segment inflammatory disorders, monitor disease activity, and evaluate efficacy of treatment. In this review we summarize the current application of this technique in ocular inflammatory disorders and highlight its utility as an additional tool in monitoring choroidal involvement in ocular inflammation.

Laviers H., Zambarakji H.

With the advent of enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT), detailed visualisation of the choroid in vivo is now possible. Measurements of choroidal thickness (CT) have also enabled new directions in research to study normal and pathological processes within the choroid. The aim of the present study is to review the current literature on choroidal imaging using EDI-OCT. Studies were identified by a systematic search using Medline ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed ). Papers were also identified based on the reference lists of relevant publications. Papers were included in the review if the focus of the study involved imaging of the choroid using EDI-OCT. Recent studies have demonstrated successful imaging of the choroid and high reproducibility of measurements of CT using EDI-OCT. There are much data confirming that abnormalities in choroidal structure and function contribute to major ocular diseases and patterns of CT variation may be observed in certain disease states and may be influenced by treatment. However, it is not clear whether these variations are a contributing factor or a consequence of the disease. While more invasive methods such as indocyanine green (ICG) angiography remain the gold standard for detecting abnormalities of the choroidal vasculature in normal eyes and disease states, EDI-OCT has become an important adjunctive clinical tool in providing three-dimensional anatomical information of the choroid.

Ishikawa S., Taguchi M., Muraoka T., Sakurai Y., Kanda T., Takeuchi M.

Aims To evaluate the efficacy of measuring subfoveal choroidal thickness in monitoring uveitis activity before and after treatment with infliximab in patients with Behçet9s disease (BD)-associated uveitis.Methods Thirteen patients with BD (23 eyes) were selected for this retrospective observational case study. Subfoveal choroidal thickness was measured during active and remission phases of uveitis by enhanced depth imaging–spectral domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). In five patients (10 eyes), choroidal thickness was assessed at weeks 0, 2, 6 and 14 after the initiation of infliximab treatment.Results Accompanied by excessive dye leakage from choroidal vessels on indocyanine green angiography, dilation of choroidal vessels was observed in the active phase of uveitis by EDI-OCT and the choroidal thickness was significantly greater than that in the remission phase. Treatment with infliximab significantly reduced the choroidal thickness from week 2 after the first infusion, and the reduced choroidal thickness was maintained thereafter. No correlation was found between choroidal thickness and best corrected visual acuity converted to logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, but choroidal thickness correlated significantly with anterior and posterior ocular inflammation scores.Conclusions This study indicates that measurement of subfoveal choroidal thickness by EDI-OCT is useful for evaluating the activity of uveitis and the therapeutic efficacy in patients with BD.

Widdifield J., Paterson J.M., Bernatsky S., Tu K., Tomlinson G., Kuriya B., Thorne J.C., Bombardier C.

Epidemiologic assessments of sufficiently large populations are required in order to obtain robust estimates of disease prevalence and incidence, particularly when exploring the influence of various factors (age, sex, calendar time). We undertook this study to describe the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over the past 15 years.We used the Ontario Rheumatoid Arthritis administrative Database (ORAD), a validated population-based research database of all Ontarians with RA. The ORAD records were linked with census data to calculate crude and age and sex-standardized prevalence and incidence rates from 1996 to 2010. Vital statistics were used to estimate annual all-cause mortality during the study period.As of 2010, there were 97,499 Ontarians with RA, corresponding to a cumulative prevalence of 0.9%. Age and sex-standardized RA prevalence increased steadily over time from 473 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 469-478) per 100,000 population (0.49%) in 1996 to 784 (95% CI 779-789) per 100,000 population (0.9%) in 2010. Age and sex-standardized incidence per 100,000 population ranged from 62 (95% CI 60-63) in 1996 to 54 (95% CI 52-55) in 2010. All-cause mortality decreased by a relative 21.4% since 1996.Over a 15-year period, we observed an increase in RA prevalence over time. This rise may be attributed to the increasing time to ascertain cases (which may have been latent in the population during earlier years of the study), increasing survival, and/or an increase in the aging background population. Incidence appears to be stable.

Matos K.T., Arantes T., Souza A.W., Ramos M.H., Allemann N., Muccioli C.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic, granulomatous, idiopathic, inflammatory disease that primarily affects large vessels. The objective of this study was to evaluate and describe the ocular manifestations of TA, correlating the resistivity and pressure in retrobulbar vessels by colour Doppler and retinal angiography.Cross-sectional study.Twenty-one patients with TA, 42 eyes, and 21 patients without TA (42 eyes) as control subjects.This study was performed in clinical practice. Patients with TA received complete ophthalmologic examination, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, and colour Doppler ultrasound to evaluate blood flow in the retrobulbar vessels.A statistical correlation was found between peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the ophthalmic artery (OA) and Heidelberg retinal angiography (HRA) examination results (p = 0.006), and resistivity index (RI) in the OA was abnormal in patients with long (average, 14 years) versus short (average, 5.5 years) onset time of the disease (p = 0.035). RI in the central retinal artery (CRA) was abnormal in patients with a long time of disease onset (mean 14.4 years) versus those with a short time (mean 4.6 years) of onset (p = 0.006).The longer the onset of the disease, the more commonly the RI showed changes in the OA and CRA, and, to a lesser extent, in the short posterior ciliary artery. When abnormalities are observed in the HRA examination, abnormal PSV in the OA may be present. Doppler blood flow evaluation and HRA may have predictive value in all patients with TA as part of serial monitoring.

Ozsahin M., Buyukkaya R., Besir F.H., Onder H.I., Erdogmus B., Ataoglu S., Güclü D., Kolukisa R.

To analyze the hemodynamic features of orbital blood flow velocities using Doppler ultrasonography in ankylosing spondiylitis (AS) patients, as well as to compare these results with those of healthy controls.33 AS patients and 32 healthy controls were consecutively included in the study groups. The same radiologist performed ocular blood flow measurements. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) were measured in the central retinal artery (CRA), posterior ciliary arteries (PCAs), and ophthalmic artery (OA). Resistive index was used to assess arterial resistance; it was automatically calculated as RI [(PSV-EDV)/PSV].There were no significant differences in the PSV, EDV, and RI of the OA, CRA, and PCAs between AS patients and controls.This result suggests no possible contributory role of vascular structures in formation of uveitis in AS. We believe that our preliminary results need to be complemented with further studies, particularly including AS patients with uveitis and rheumatic diseases with other ocular involvement.

Makol A., Crowson C.S., Wetter D.A., Sokumbi O., Matteson E.L., Warrington K.J.

The aim of this study was to determine the clinical correlates and predictors of rheumatoid vasculitis (RV).A retrospective cohort of patients with RV evaluated at a tertiary referral centre between 1 January 2000 and 1 January 2010 was identified. RV cases were compared in a 1:2 ratio to controls (RA without vasculitis) to identify risk factors for developing RV.Eighty-six RV cases (58% women, 88% white) were identified. Histopathological confirmation was available for 58% of patients. Cutaneous vasculitis was the most common presentation, followed by vasculitic neuropathy. The median age at presentation was 63 years and the median duration of RA was 10.8 years. One third were current smokers. The majority were seropositive and had elevated inflammatory markers. Treatment was with a range of immunomodulating agents. At 6 months, 38% of patients achieved complete remission, 52% had partial improvement and 10% noted no clinical improvement. Thirty-six per cent relapsed by 5 years and 26% died. After adjusting for age and disease duration, current smoking at RA diagnosis [odds ratio (OR) 1.98], coexistent peripheral vascular disease (OR 3.98), cerebrovascular disease (OR 6.48), severe RA (OR 2.02) (characterized by radiographic erosions, nodulosis on clinical examination or requirement of joint surgery) and the use of biologics (OR 2.80) were found to increase the odds for developing RV; the use of HCQ (OR 0.54, CI 0.31, 0.94) and low-dose aspirin (OR 0.42, CI 0.21, 0.85) was associated with decreased odds for developing RV.This largest single-centre series of patients with RV suggests that even in recent years, RV remains a serious complication of RA and is associated with significant mortality.

Wei W.B., Xu L., Jonas J.B., Shao L., Du K.F., Wang S., Chen C.X., Xu J., Wang Y.X., Zhou J.Q., You Q.S.

Purpose To study subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in adult Chinese subjects and its correlation with ocular biometric parameters, refractive error, and age. Design Population-based longitudinal study. Participants The population-based Beijing Eye Study 2011 included 3468 individuals with a mean age of 64.6±9.8 years (range, 50–93 years). Methods A detailed ophthalmic examination was performed, including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with enhanced depth imaging for measurement of SFCT. Main Outcome Measures Subfoveal choroidal thickness. Results The SFCT measurements were available for 3233 subjects (93.2%). Mean SFCT was 253.8±107.4 μm (range, 8–854 μm). In multivariate analysis, SFCT increased with younger age (P

Androudi S., Dastiridou A., Symeonidis C., Kump L., Praidou A., Brazitikos P., Kurup S.K.

Retinal vascular inflammation, a potentially blinding condition (herein: retinal vasculitis (RV)) is commonly associated with a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by systemic inflammatory cell infiltration and/or necrosis of blood vessel walls. RV may arise as an isolated ocular disorder, as part of systemic vasculitis (Wegener’s granulomatosis and Adamantiadis–Behcet Disease), or it can be secondary to an underlying connective tissue disease (systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, and rheumatoid arthritis), systemic infection, or malignancy. Depending on the type of RV, it can be a potentially disabling condition, in the short or long term. Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment and better prognosis. However, early diagnosis can be difficult, because these conditions usually present with nonspecific visual symptoms for a long period before diagnostic manifestations occur. The retina should be examined in warranted patients with verified rheumatic disease, since retinal vasculitis may be asymptomatic at the beginning (peripheral retinal disease). RV can be detected clinically (often accompanied by uveitis, scleritis, or macular edema) or revealed on fluorescein fundus angiography, even if minimal signs of retinal vessel inflammation are present. RV may also represent one of the possible extra-articular manifestations of the rheumatic disease. Rheumatologists should be familiar with the ocular manifestations of these disorders, since they may not only be sight-threatening, but more importantly, could be the presenting or even the very first manifestations of active, potentially lethal systemic disease in a patient with nonspecific rheumatologic presentation.

Zlatanović G., Veselinović D., Cekić S., Živković M., Đorđević- Jocić J., Zlatanović M.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease associated with a number of extra-articular organ manifestations. Ocular manifestations involved with RA are keratoconjunctivitis sicca, episcleritis, scleritis, corneal changes, and retinal vasculitus. The etiopathogenesis of this autoimmune disorder is still unknown. Aim of our study was to present different ocular manifestations of RA and their frequency. We have examined 691 patient with the diagnoses of RA. All examined patients were in I or II stage of the disease according to criteria of The American College of Rheumatology. Ophthalmological exam obtained: visual acuity by Snellen sings, biomicroscopy of anterior segment, Schirmer test, tear break-up time (BUT), applanation tonometry and indirect ophthalmoscopy. In all patients with retinal vasculitis fotofundus and in indicated cases fluorescein angiography was preformed. The most common manifestation of ocular involvement was keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Episcleritis was diagnosed in 5.06% patients with RA, while scleritis was present in 2.06% of patients. Diffuse scleritis was present in one patient, while nodular was present in 13 patients. There were no patients with posterior or necrotizing scleritis among examined patients. Sclerosing keratitis was diagnosed in 11 female patients. It is characterized with peripheral thickening and opacification of the stroma adjacent to the site of inflammation. Posterior scleritis or scleromalacia of cornea was not present in our patients, because all of them were in I or II stage of disease. Retinal vasculitis was present in three patients, two male and one female patient (0.45%). Ocular manifestation was present in 27.2% of patients. Women were more affected.

Maruko I., Iida T., Sugano Y., Oyamada H., Sekiryu T., Fujiwara T., Spaide R.F.

To evaluate the subfoveal choroidal thickness in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography.Retrospective observational study. Subfoveal choroidal thickness was measured using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography, in which the optical coherence tomography instrument was placed close enough to the eye to obtain an inverted image, which was averaged for 100 scans. All patients were diagnosed as having the ocular findings of VKH disease with or without extraocular disorders. The patients were followed during their initial treatment with corticosteroids.All 8 patients (16 eyes) with acute phase VKH disease presented with thickening of the choroid. The serous retinal detachment disappeared in 1 month after corticosteroid treatment. The mean choroidal thickness in 16 eyes decreased from 805 ± 173 μm at the first visit to 524 ± 151 μm at 3 days (P < 0.001) and 341 ± 70 μm by 2 weeks (P < 0.001).Patients with active VKH disease have markedly thickened choroids, possibly related not only to inflammatory infiltration but also to increased exudation. Both the choroidal thickness and the exudative retinal detachment decreased quickly with corticosteroid treatment. Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography can be used to evaluate the choroidal involvement in VKH disease in the acute stages and may prove useful in the diagnosis and management of this disease noninvasively.

Nickla D.L., Wallman J.

The choroid of the eye is primarily a vascular structure supplying the outer retina. It has several unusual features: It contains large membrane-lined lacunae, which, at least in birds, function as part of the lymphatic drainage of the eye and which can change their volume dramatically, thereby changing the thickness of the choroid as much as four-fold over a few days (much less in primates). It contains non-vascular smooth muscle cells, especially behind the fovea, the contraction of which may thin the choroid, thereby opposing the thickening caused by expansion of the lacunae. It has intrinsic choroidal neurons, also mostly behind the central retina, which may control these muscles and may modulate choroidal blood flow as well. These neurons receive sympathetic, parasympathetic and nitrergic innervation. The choroid has several functions: Its vasculature is the major supply for the outer retina; impairment of the flow of oxygen from choroid to retina may cause Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The choroidal blood flow, which is as great as in any other organ, may also cool and warm the retina. In addition to its vascular functions, the choroid contains secretory cells, probably involved in modulation of vascularization and in growth of the sclera. Finally, the dramatic changes in choroidal thickness move the retina forward and back, bringing the photoreceptors into the plane of focus, a function demonstrated by the thinning of the choroid that occurs when the focal plane is moved back by the wearing of negative lenses, and, conversely, by the thickening that occurs when positive lenses are worn. In addition to focusing the eye, more slowly than accommodation and more quickly than emmetropization, we argue that the choroidal thickness changes also are correlated with changes in the growth of the sclera, and hence of the eye. Because transient increases in choroidal thickness are followed by a prolonged decrease in synthesis of extracellular matrix molecules and a slowing of ocular elongation, and attempts to decouple the choroidal and scleral changes have largely failed, it seems that the thickening of the choroid may be mechanistically linked to the scleral synthesis of macromolecules, and thus may play an important role in the homeostatic control of eye growth, and, consequently, in the etiology of myopia and hyperopia.

Berhuni M., Albayrak F., Göl M.

Gökgöz Özışık G., Eker Buyuksireci D., Şahin T., Caglıyan Turk A.

Fekrazad S., Farahani M.S., Salehi M.A., Hassanzadeh G., Fernando Arevalo J.

Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease, affects eyes in 25% of cases. Retinal alterations in RA can function as biomarkers as early risk indicators for developing sight-threatening conditions. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides high-resolution images of the retina and its component's thickness measures. The purpose of this review is to compare the choroidal thickness (CT) of RA patients and healthy controls. We examined the databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. Depending on the heterogeneity, an appropriate model was used for the meta-analysis. Additionally, meta-regression, publication bias, subgroup analyses, and quality evaluation were carried out. We evaluated 8 studies involving 363 RA patients and 343 healthy controls. Our findings demonstrated that RA participants had significantly lower CT at 500 and 1500 µm nasal and temporal to the fovea compared to controls. The subfoveal, 1000 µm temporal and nasal to the fovea, and average CT, however, did not demonstrate statistical significance. The results of this study demonstrate that choroidal thickness is different in RA patients from healthy controls in several areas. OCT measurements may be related to both the visual acuity and the possibility of developing several rheumatic-ophthalmic problems. Future research is thus needed to get more firm findings.

Kiyat P., Karti O., Gercik Ö., Şak T.

The present study aims to evaluate the optic nerve, macula, and choroidal changes in both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SjS) patients, and to compare these findings with age-matched healthy volunteers. This study included 46 RA patients, 33 primary SjS patients, and 37 age-matched healthy volunteers. All of the patients underwent a thorough ophthalmological examination, during which measurements of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer(GCL), and subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT) were taken using OCT (optical coherence tomography). The measurements taken from the right eye of each patient were used to compare among the groups. RNFL thickness in superior quadrant was found to be statistically significantly thinner in the eyes with RA when compared to the control group (p = 0.022). In the nasal quadrant, the RNFL thickness was significantly thinner in patients with primary SjS compared to healthy individuals (p = 0.036). Also, the temporal quadrant RNFL was significantly thinner in RA patients than in the primary SjS patients (p = 0.033). GCL thickness was observed to be thinner in all quadrants of both RA and primary SjS groups compared to the control group. However, the difference was not found to be statistically significant. Subfoveal CT was observed to be thicker in RA and SjS groups compared to the control group, but this difference was also not statistically significant. Systemic autoimmune diseases like RA and primary SjS can lead to a decrease in RNLF and GCL thickness, which can impair visual acuity even in the absence of ocular symptoms. Therefore, monitoring changes in the optic nerve, retina, and choroid layer are crucial in these patients.

Sevimli N., Kurna S.A., Karamanlıoğlu A.D., Özkan F.Ü., Aktaş İ., Çakır M.

To evaluate retinal and choroidal characteristics of fibromyalgia (FM) patients using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), to compare them with healthy controls, and to determine the correlation of these measurements with disease severity and quality of life.Thirty-nine eyes of 39 patients with FM and 44 eyes of 44 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), central macular thickness (CMT), and choroidal thickness (CT) measurements of the subjects were obtained using SD-OCT (Maestro, Topcon Co. Tokyo, Japan), choroidal vascular index (CVI) was calculated by using the binarization method and the results were compared. Disease duration (DD), widespread pain index (WPI), symptom severity scale (SSS), visual analog scale (VAS), ocular pain assessment survey (OPAS), FM impact questionnaire (FIQ), European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions-3 level (EQ-5D-3 L), European Quality VAS score (EQ-VAS) and use of pregabalin were recorded. Correlations between the SD-OCT results and the FM parameters were evaluated.No significant difference was found in terms of age and gender (p = 0.612, p = 0.244 respectively). Patients in the FM group had significantly thinner RNFL superior quadrant and CT (p = 0,009 and p < 0.001, respectively). CVI was significantly higher in the FM group (p < 0.001). There was an inverse correlation between OPAS and CT (r = -0.379, p = 0.027) and between VAS and CVI (r = -0.398, p = 0.020). The use of pregabalin had no effect on SD-OCT (p > 0.05).Patients with FM demonstrated reduced RNFL superior quadrant and CT and increased CVI. Ocular and general body pain in FM was found to be associated with SD-OCT.

Lee H., Chen J., Ying P., Xu S., Kang M., Zou J., Liao X., Shi W., Ling Q., Wang Y., Wei H., Shao Y.

Abstract Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disorder that primarily causes symmetrical polyarthritis and bone deformity. In RA patients, sight-threatening inflammatory eye complications would be expected. Objective: The objective of the study is to ascertain the macular retinal vessel density changes in RA patients and controls using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and to investigate the association between disease and microvascular density alterations. Methods: A total of 12 RA patients (24 eyes) and 12 age- and gender-matched control participants (24 eyes) were recruited to the study. We used the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study partitioning, hemispheric quadrants and annular partitioning to segment each image into different subregions. The vascular density of superficial retina layer, deep retina layer and conjunctival capillary plexus was quantitatively measured by OCTA and compared with the control group. Correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between STMI and conjunctival capillaries densities. Results: In the superficial retinal layer, the vascular density of S, I, L, SL, SR, IL and C1-C5 were significantly decreased in the RA group compared with the control group (P&lt;0.05). For the deep retinal layer, the vascular density of S, SL, SR, IL, C1, C2 and C4 also decreased in RA group. A significant positive correlation was indicated between conjunctival vascular and STMI densities (r = 0.713, P&lt;0.05). Conclusion: OCTA results suggest that RA patients present with a reduced macular retinal vascular density. These subtle alterations of ocular microcirculation may precede severe eye involvements and may be a potential biomarker for early distinguishing abnormal eyes from healthy eyes.

Glover K., Mishra D., Singh T.

Die weltweite Prävalenz von Autoimmunkrankheiten nimmt zu. Infolgedessen haben auch die mit Autoimmunkrankheiten verbundenen okulären Komplikationen zugenommen, die von leichten Symptomen bis hin zur Bedrohung des Sehvermögens reichen. Diese okulären Manifestationen können durch die Krankheit selbst oder durch die Behandlung zur Bekämpfung der primären Autoimmunerkrankung verursacht werden. Diese Übersicht gibt einen detaillierten Einblick in die epidemiologischen Faktoren, die die zunehmende Prävalenz von Augenkomplikationen im Zusammenhang mit verschiedenen Autoimmunerkrankungen beeinflussen.

Glover K., Mishra D., Singh T.R.

The global prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increasing. As a result, ocular complications, ranging from minor symptoms to sight-threatening scenarios, associated with autoimmune diseases have also risen. These ocular manifestations can result from the disease itself or treatments used to combat the primary autoimmune disease. This review provides detailed insights into the epidemiological factors affecting the increasing prevalence of ocular complications associated with several autoimmune disorders.

Kal A., Ulusoy M.O., Öztürk C.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible effects of (ankylosing spondylitis) AS on choroidal thickness (CT) and other retinal layers using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). This cross-sectional study group comprised 41 AS patients and age and sex-matched 46 control subjects. None of our patients had active anterior uveitis during the measurements. We evaluated and compared CT, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness, focal loss volume (FLV) and global loss volume (GLV) of the participants. The CT of the patients at 1500 µm (286.20 µm ± 65.81), 1000 µm (309.55 µm ± 85.33) nasally to the fovea and subfoveal layer (339.93 µm ± 69.93) were thicker than in controls (p = 0.007, p = 0.037, p = 0.008). Except nasal layer, all RNFL layers were significantly thinner than controls (p < 0.001). GCC and macular thickness were also thinner than controls (p < 0.001). In conclusion, present findings may suggest that the AS disease may affect the choroidal, RNFL and GCC thickness by disease’s own inflammatory effect, independently from the uveitis history.

Yener A.Ü., Şahin K.

To measure ocular vascular parameters in rheumatoid arthritis patients and compare with those of controls and to evaluate the association of rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody with the choroidal thickness. Superficial foveal vessel density, superficial and deep foveal avascular zone area, and subfoveal choroidal thickness were measured using the swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the correlation of subfoveal choroidal thickness with serological markers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Choroidal thickness in patients was significantly thinner than that in healthy controls (278.87 ± 59.54 μm vs. 323.94 ± 98.02 μm, p = 0.03). Despite the weak positive correlations between rheumatoid factor/anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide and choroidal thickness, these relationships were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, subfoveal choroid was thinner than controls. There were similar correlations between choroidal thickness and rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody.

Steiner M., Esteban-Ortega M.D., Muñoz-Fernández S.

To identify the risk of relapse and subclinical inflammatory stages of systemic autoimmune diseases, new tools are needed. In the recent years, choroidal thickness and retinal thickness measured with ocular coherence tomography (OCT) have been proposed as an inflammatory marker for different systemic diseases, especially for conditions with a vascular component. Our aim in this article is to review the literature regarding the role of choroidal and retinal thickness as a potential inflammatory marker in systemic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases measured by OCT. Current literature suggests that the choroid of patients thickens in active phases of inflammatory diseases with vascular involvement. This pattern is observed in lupus, systemic sclerosis, Behçet disease, spondylitis, and familial Mediterranean fever. Choroidal thickness may decrease with biological treatments, along with systemic inflammation. Repeated flares and long-term disease, however, may thin the choroid, as a result of prolonged insult to the microvasculature and subsequent atrophy. Less is known about the effect of these diseases on retinal thickness. In summary, choroidal and retinal thickness measured by OCT may be promising markers for inflammation in systemic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; however, more studies are warranted before generalizing choroidal thickness measurements by OCT as a marker for disease activity. The role of retinal thickness is more unclear due to a lack of studies in this field.

Doğan Ü., Ulaş F., Türkoğlu Ş.A., Ögün M.N., Ağca S.