The Effect of Circle of Willis Morphology on Retinal Blood Flow in Patients with Carotid Stenosis Measured by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

The Circle of Willis (CoW) is the main collateral system, and its morphological variants are more common in patients who have severe carotid artery stenosis. Earlier data suggest that optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) may help to assess the changes in cerebral vascular perfusion by imaging the retinal blood flow. In this single-center prospective clinical study, patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) underwent preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the extra- and intracranial cerebral circulation. OCTA imaging was performed one week before surgery and postoperatively one month later. The patients were divided into two subgroups based on CTA evaluation of CoW: compromised CoW or non-compromised CoW (containing hypoplastic and normal segments). The effect of the patient's age, OCTA scan quality (SQ), CoW morphology, laterality, and surgery on superficial capillary vessel density (VD) in the macula were assessed in multivariable regression models using linear mixed models. We found that VD significantly decreased with aging (-0.12%; 95%CI: -0.07--0.15; p < 0.001) and was significantly higher in patients with non-compromised CoW morphology (by 0.87% 95%CI (0.26-1.50); p = 0.005). After CEA, retinal blood flow significantly improved by 0.71% (95%CI: 0.18-1.25; p = 0.01). These results suggest that in the case of carotid artery occlusion, patients with non-compromised CoW have more preserved ocular blood flow than subjects with compromised CoW due to remodeling of the intra-orbital blood flow. Measuring the retinal blood flow might be used as a relevant and sensitive indicator of collateral cerebrovascular circulation.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:12

Enthalten in:

Journal of clinical medicine - 12(2023), 16 vom: 16. Aug.

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Mihály, Zsuzsanna [VerfasserIn]
István, Lilla [VerfasserIn]
Czakó, Cecilia [VerfasserIn]
Benyó, Fruzsina [VerfasserIn]
Borzsák, Sarolta [VerfasserIn]
Varga, Andrea [VerfasserIn]
Magyar-Stang, Rita [VerfasserIn]
Banga, Péter Vince [VerfasserIn]
Élő, Ágnes [VerfasserIn]
Debreczeni, Róbert [VerfasserIn]
Kovács, Illés [VerfasserIn]
Sótonyi, Péter [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Carotid artery stenosis
Cerebral microcirculation
Circle of Willis
Journal Article
Retinal blood flow

Anmerkungen:

Date Revised 29.08.2023

published: Electronic

Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE

doi:

10.3390/jcm12165335

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM361275595