Purpose:
Pseudoexfoliation (PXE) syndrome is a systemic condition in which amyloid-like material coats ocular surfaces, such as the trabecular meshwork, lens, capsule, iris, and corneal endothelium. This material also accumulates in the heart, kidneys, lungs and systemic vasculature. Color doppler imaging showed decreased retrobulbar blood flow velocities and increased vessel resistances in the ophthalmic and central retinal arteries. Scanning laser doppler flowmetry showed reduced optic nerve head and peri-papillary blood flow velocities compared to non-exfoliative fellow eyes and control eyes. We hypothesize that deposition of PXE material in peri-foveal vasculature may result in decreased macular blood flow velocities.
Methods:
Prospective, cross-sectional study. The Retinal functional imager (RFI) was used to quantitatively measure peri-foveal and peri-papillary arterial and venous blood velocities in eyes of patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome. Control data was extrapolated from a previously published study using the same device.11 Burgansky-Eliash Z, Nelson DA, Bar-Tal OP, et al. Reduced retinal blood flow velocity in diabetic retinopathy. Retina.2010 May;30(5):765-73.
Results:
This study included 25 eyes of 13 patients with PXE with or without associated glaucoma. The mean age was 70 ± 11 years, 54% were male, 15% were diabetic, 38% were hypertensive and 70% had PXE associated glaucoma. Mean arterial peri-foveal retinal blood flow velocities (RBFV) (mm/sec) were 4.19 ± 0.99 (Control1) and 3.96 ± 0.46 (PXE). The mean peri-foveal venous velocities were 3.03 ± 0.59 (Control1) and 3.28 ± 0.51 (PXE). In PXE, mean arterial peri-papillary RBFV were 6.73 ± 3.66 while venous RBFV were 6.68 ± 3.93. Student’s t-test did not reveal a statistically significant difference between the mean peri-foveal arterial or venous velocities of control and PXE eyes.
Conclusions:
Eyes with PXE did not have significantly different peri-foveal retinal arterial or venous blood velocities when compared to controls.
Keywords: imaging/image analysis: clinical • blood supply • retina