Coronary slow flow (CSF) may be a reflection of a systemic slow-flow phenomenon in the coronary arterial tree. In this study, the CSF group consisted of 24 men (77.4%) and 7 women (22.5%). An age- and gender-matched normal coronary artery (control) group was composed of 21 men (72.4%) and 8 women (27.5%). Retinal arteriovenous circulation time was measured using fundus fluorescein angiography as a part of the microcirculation and the circulation time between the antecubital vein and the retina as a part of the systemic circulation in patients with CSF and controls with normal coronary arteries. The mean arm-retina circulation time was 19.0 ± 5.7 seconds in the CSF group and 14.1 ± 3.1 seconds in the control group (p <0.001). The mean retinal arteriovenous passage time was 2.6 ± 0.9 seconds in the CSF group and 2.1 ± 0.7 seconds in the control group (p = 0.001). Strikingly, retinal findings of chronic central serous retinopathy were observed in 3 patients in the CSF group. In conclusion, CSF may indeed be a part of a systemic slow-flow phenomenon. The association of central serous retinopathy with this condition suggests that corticosteroids and the sympathetic system may play important roles in the pathogenesis of the disease by causing or contributing to increases in microvascular resistance and tonus.
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