Abstract
Purpose: :
The object of the present study was to find differences in retinal vessels in patients with cyclic citrullinated peptide - positive rheumatoid arthritis (CCP-RA) in comparison to controls.
Methods: :
All patients and controls were examined generally (blood pressure, heart rate) and underwent ophthalmological examinations (visual acuity, refraction, slit lamp and fundus examination). The examination of the retinal vessels took place with the Retinal Vessel Analyser (Imedos, Jena, Germany). Statistical analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney-U-Test.
Results: :
Twentyfive patients (m:f=3:22, average age=50.2±7.6 years) with CCP-RA were included and compared with 22 age-related controls (m:f=2:20). Ophthalmological examinations as well as blood pressure and heart rate in all subjects were without pathological findings. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences in the static and dynamic analysis of the blood vessels between patients with CCP-RA and controls.
Conclusions: :
In patients with CCP-RA we could not detect any changes in arterial and venous reaction after provocation with flickering light.
Keywords: blood supply • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment