Evaluation of arterial blood flow changes by orbital Doppler in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma

Both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. They primarily affect the lungs, but they have various extrapulmonary manifestations. The aim of our study was to evaluate the hemodynamic changes in orbital vessels of the patients with COPD and asthma using color Doppler ultrasonography and compare the results with healthy control subjects.

Thirty-seven patients with COPD, 37 patients with asthma, and 41 healthy control subjects were included in this study. All patients with COPD were in moderate to severe group according to GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease), and similarly, all patients with asthma were in moderate to severe persistent group according to GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) 2006 guidelines. End-tidal carbon dioxide, peripheral oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and respiratory rate were measured by using pulse oximeter in all patients. Measurements were performed in only 1 randomly selected eye of each participant. The peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, and resistance index were measured in the central retinal artery, temporal posterior ciliary artery, and nasal posterior ciliary artery using the color Doppler ultrasonography technique.

The peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, and resistance index values of temporal posterior ciliary artery and nasal posterior ciliary artery were significantly higher in COPD and asthma than in the control subjects. There was no difference between asthma and COPD.

We concluded that retrobulbar hemodynamics change in COPD and asthma is showing 1 of the systemic effects in these diseases.