Peripapillary microvascular changes in patients with systemic hypertension: An optical coherence tomography angiography study

Sci Rep. 2020 Apr 16;10(1):6541. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-63603-6.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in peripapillary microvasculature using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in systemic hypertension (HTN) patients. This was a cross-sectional study. Based on the duration of HTN, seventy-eight HTN patients were divided into two groups. (HTN group 1: <10 years, 38 eyes; HTN group 2: ≥10 years, 40 eyes) and 90 control subjects. All subjects underwent 6 × 6 mm OCTA scan centered on the optic nerve head. We analyzed peripapillary vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) in superficial capillary plexus among three groups. The average ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknesses of HTN group 2 were thinner than those of the control group (p = 0.016, and 0.035, respectively). HTN group 2 showed lower peripapillary VD and PD than the control group. However, there were no differences between HTN group 1 and the control group in OCT and peripapillary OCTA parameters. In HTN patients, the peripapillary VD, PD and GC-IPL, RNFL thicknesses correlated significantly. OCTA showed that the peripapillary VD and PD were lower in HTN patients with a duration ≥10 years compared with those of normal controls. Peripapillary microvasculature was correlated with the RNFL and GC-IPL thicknesses. HTN duration should therefore be considered when evaluating peripapillary microvasculature using OCTA.

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography*
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / diagnostic imaging*
  • Hypertension / pathology*
  • Macula Lutea
  • Male
  • Microvessels / diagnostic imaging*
  • Microvessels / pathology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Optic Disk / blood supply*
  • Optic Disk / diagnostic imaging*
  • Optic Disk / pathology
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / pathology
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence*