Peripapillary vascular density and retinal nerve fibre layer changes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a systemic disease which may cause end organ damage. Objectives In this study, we aimed to investigate the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness changes in patients with COPD. Methods The right eyes of 35 patients with COPD and 35 healthy controls were evaluated with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). RPC density values and RNFL thicknesses were measured and compared. Results The mean inside disc vascular density and the mean peripapillary vascular density values were lower in the COPD group (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively). When the peripapillary area was evaluated independently as eight different quadrants, the RPC density values were lower in the COPD group in all of the quadrants except superotemporal and temporal superior quadrants. RNFL was thinner in all quadrants in the COPD group compared to the control group. But this difference was significant only in the nasal superior and inferonasal quadrants (p = 0.03, p = 0.04, respectively). Although, there was no correlation between the mean RPC density and the mean peripapillary RNFL thickness of the patients, FEV1 values for all patients were found to be correlated with the mean peripapillary RPC density (r = 0.406, p = 0.015). Conclusion OCTA may have a potential to be used in the follow‐up of COPD patients.

The alterations of retinal vasculature detected on optical coherence tomography angiography associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“…27 In their study of 35 COPD and 35 healthy controls, Alkan et al looked at radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. 28 Similar to our study, they found that the inside disc and peripapillary VDs were significantly lower in the COPD group compared with the control group. Moreover, they found that RNFL was thin in all quadrants, but it was significantly thinner in the nasal superior and inferonasal quadrants.…”

Evaluation of retinal microvasculature according to stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity and the correlation of pulmonary parameters with optical coherence tomography angiography findings

“…Alkan et al . [ 10 11 ] mentioned that vascular density measured by OCTA decreased in the parafoveal area due to COPD-related hypoxemia and endothelial dysfunction, and reported that OCTA may have the potential to be used in the follow-up of patients with COPD. However, they did not evaluate OCTA measurements according to the COPD severity.…”

“…[ 8 9 ] In previous studies, retinal, choroidal, and optic nerve head changes in patients with COPD have been demonstrated by the optical coherence tomography (OCT) technique. [ 2 3 4 5 ] Retinal and optic disc vascular changes of patients with COPD by using OCTA[ 10 11 ] and correlation of pulmonary parameters with OCT findings in stable COPD[ 3 ] were also mentioned by recently published reports. However, microvascular blood flow changes due to chronic hypoxia in patients with COPD are still not clear.…”

Alterations of Macular Structure in Non-Glaucomatous Subjects With Obstructive Pulmonary Function

“…Generally, however, these studies show in common that nerve fiber layers and peripapillary vasculature are damaged in patients with obstructive pulmonary disease. 9 – 11 For instance, both Ugurulu et al and Gok et al demonstrated thinner peripapillary RNFL in inferior and nasal quadrants in those with COPD. 10 , 11 Kocamis et al demonstrated decreased subfoveal choroidal thickness in subjects with COPD.…”

“… 7 Cardiovascular disease, renal failure, stroke, musculoskeletal dysfunction, and autoimmune disorders are just a few of the numerous conditions which have been associated with this pulmonary disease, 8 yet there have been relatively few investigations in the context of ocular disease. Although studies have been conducted in the past to quantify peripapillary retinal vessel density (VD) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in COPD in an attempt to identify its association with optic neuropathies, such as glaucoma, 9 – 11 they were primarily concerned with ONH and yielded somewhat inconsistent results. In this study, we attempt to conduct a cross-sectional comparative analysis on the difference in structural parameters of the macula between patients with COPD and healthy controls as the macula is known to be especially vulnerable to systemic disease.…”