Increased retinal blood flow in patients with active Graves' ophthalmopathy

To investigate retinal blood flow by Heidelberg retina flowmeter in patients with active Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Thirty patients with active Graves' ophthalmopathy in euthyroid state and thirty normal controls were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure detection, complete ophthalmological examination, Hertel's exophthalmometry, and retinal blood flow analysis by Heidelberg retina flowmeter. Patients additionally underwent automated threshold perimetry and extraocular muscle thickness measurement by A-scan ecography.

A significant statistical difference was found in exophthalmometry (P<0.001), intraocular pressure (P<0.001) and retinal blood flow (P<0.05) between patients and controls. In patients, muscle enlargement was significantly correlated with retinal blood flow (r=0.49, P=0.005) and proptosis (r=0.37, P=0.04). A significant positive correlation (r=0.52, P=0.002) was also found between intraocular pressure and proptosis.

Active Graves' ophthalmopathy patients present an increased retinal blood flow.