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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography of Retinal Circulation
Published on: September 18, 2012
Vascular changes with optical coherence tomography angiography during aura of migraine: A case report
Pınar Bingöl Kızıltunç1, Huban Atilla1
1Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
Purpose:
To demonstrate macular and optic disk vessel changes by optical coherence tomography angiography during and after a migraine attack with aura.
Methods:
Case report.
Results:
A 34-year-old healthy female patient was evaluated by optical coherence tomography angiography imaging during visual aura with phosphenes in the left visual field. Optical coherence tomography angiography imaging showed diffuse narrowing of the retinal vessels, decreased radial peripapillary capillary density, and decreased superficial and deep foveal vessel density in the right eye. These changes improved 3 hours after visual aura. The patient suffered from right eye pain and right-sided headache, which are typical for migraine, after the visual aura.
Conclusion:
These findings indicate that blood flow during migraine attack is reduced not only in the brain but also in the eye. Eye pain in migraine patients may be due to decreased blood flow in the eye. Restoring the vascular changes 3 hours after the visual aura suggests that vascular changes may be transient during a migraine attack.
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