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Frequency of prepapillary vascular loops in Congolese patients
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Purpose:
To determine the frequency of prepapillary vascular loops in the population of Congolese patients.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective cross-sectional and descriptive analysis of the data collected between January 2005 and August 2014 from patients diagnosed with prepapillary vascular loops, in an outpatient eye clinic, a general ophthalmology practice.
Results:
Out of 16,016 patients seen during the study period, 24 patients (27 eyes) were diagnosed with prepapillary vascular loops, for a frequency of 0.15%. The mean age of the patients with prepapillary vascular loops was 37.8 years±14 (SD) (range, 18 to 60 years). Male were more frequently diagnosed with prepapillary vascular loops than female (62.5% vs 37.5%). Unilateral prepapillary vascular loops were found in 77.8% and bilateral in 22.2% of eyes. Most of PPLs were estimated to be arterial (88.9% of eyes) based on clinical observation alone, as fluorescein angiography was not systematically performed. Ophthalmoscopically, the vessels appeared as simple (44.6%) or took more serial turns (corkscew or spiral-shaped) (55.6%). The average length of PPLs was 1.02mm (range 0.6 to 1.5mm) with an orientation (an axis orientation) in the superior nasal sector (50%), inferior nasal sector (33%) and superior temporal sector (17%); and a mean axis of 143° relative to the horizontal. Refractive errors were found in 16 eyes (59.3%) and included simple myopia (4 eyes, 14.8%), myopic astigmatism (8 eyes, 29.6%), hyperopic astigmatism (one eye, 3.7%), hyperopia (3 eyes, 11.1%); One patient (one eye, 3.7%) with high hyperopia had anisometropia. Primary open angle glaucoma was found in 5 (18.5%) eyes; vascular tortuosity was seen in two (7.4%) eyes. No complication such as retinal arterial occlusion, vitreous hemorrhage, or any other complication was found.
Conclusion:
The frequency of 0.15% found in this study suggests that although rare, prepapillary vascular loops seem to be a bit more common in black people than in white and Asian people. An association between PPLs and refractive errors may be possible.
