Evaluation Of Conjunctival Vascular Changes In Antineutrophilic Cytoplasmic Antibody Associated Vasculitis Using Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published 2024 - 42nd Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: PP18.07 | Type: Free paper | DOI: 10.82333/9z3g-fy96
Authors: Ahmad Masoumi* 1 , Faezeh Moghimpour Bijani 2 , Zahra Montazerian 3 , Pezhman Pasyar 3 , Hamidreza Ghanbari 1 , Haniyeh Zeidabadinejad 1 , Saeed Raeisi 1 , Majid Alikhani 2
1Ophthalmology,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran, Islamic Republic Of, 2Internal Medicine,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran, Islamic Republic Of, 3Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering,Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran,Iran, Islamic Republic Of
Purpose
This observational case-control study aimed to investigate the conjunctival vascular changes in patients with antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), using anterior segment optical coherence tomography angiography (AS-OCTA).
Setting
The study was conducted at Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran, spanning four months from January to April 2023.
Methods
A total of 32 eyes from 16 who were previously diagnosed with AAV and 42 eyes from healthy controls underwent AS-OCTA imaging. Vascular parameters, including vessel density (VD), vessel length density (VLD), and vessel diameter index (VDI), were compared between groups using a linear mixed-effects model adjusting for age and gender.
Results
The mean VDI in the deep nasal region was significantly larger in the AAV group compared to control group (1.91 vs 1.81, P< 0.001). Conversely, the mean VDI in the superficial region was significantly lower on the AAV group (1.94 vs 2.04, P<0.001). Distinctive vessel patterns, such as tortuosity and under perfusion, were identified, potentially indicative of chronic inflammation and vasculitis.
Conclusions
Patients with AAV exhibited dilation in deeper nasal conjunctival regions and reduced diameter in superficial temporal regions. AS-OCTA holds promise as a valuable tool for enhancing our understanding of AAV ocular manifestations, providing insights into disease pathophysiology and guiding future management strategies. However, limitations including small sample size and image noise warrant further research to refine AS-OCTA imaging quality and expand its clinical utility.