Abstract
Purpose :
The study aims to evaluate the retinal and choriocapillary vascular density (VD) in a group of patients affected by Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) compared to healthy controls (HC) and to highlight a possible correlation between the (VD) at this level and the characteristics of the disease, the results of capillaroscopy and the organ involvement.
Methods :
VD was assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography ( Ultra-fast Spectral Domain OCTA, 6.4 mmmx 6.4 mm macular scan) at the level of the superficial (SCP), deep retinal capillary plexus (DCP), and the choriocapillary (CC) of 30 SSc patients compared to 30 subjects of the same sex and age without any retinal disease.
Results :
30 % of SSc patients (age 57.3 ± 10.0, female 86.7%) had a diffuse cutaneous variant ,a mean duration of disease of 10.4 ± 7.2 years, and patients with antibody positive-centromer and anti-Scl70 account respectively for 40.0% and 30.0%. Compared to HC, SSc patients showed altered VD at the level of the SCP (47.7 ± 3.6 vs 59.1 ± 3.5%, p = 0.009), of the DCP (50.0 ± 6.7 vs 54.3 ± 6.4%, p = 0.015), and CC (67.1 ± 2.2 vs 68.6 ± 1.7, p = 0.005). Furthermore, in the SSc group, the presence of digital ulcers (46.7%), telangiectasias (43.3%) and interstitial lung disease (46.7%) was related to reduced VD (46.8 ± 4 , 1 vs 50.3 ± 4.3%, p =. 033), of the CC (66.1 ± 1.4 vs 67.9 ± 2.4%, p = 0.004) and of the DCP (47.2 ± 8.8 vs 51.9 ± 4.3, p = 0.004). Finally, the mean capillary density at capillaroscopy showed a positive correlation with the VD at the level of the SCP (r = .474, p = .008), of the DCP (r = .414, p = .023) and of the foveal CC ( r .482, p .007) and there was also a correlation between the density at CC and both DLco (r = .467, p = .009) and FVC / DLco (r = -. 436, p = .004) .
Conclusions :
SSc patients in our cohort showed lower vascular density than healthy controls. Furthermore, the compromised VD at different levels of the eye is related to organ involvement and the degree of digital and pulmonary microvascular impairment. According to these data, OCTA could be proposed as a biomarker to study microvascular anomalies in SSc.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.