Multimodal Retinal Imaging for Detection of Ischemic Stroke

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ischemic stroke poses a significant health burden.
• Ocular changes may serve as early indicators of ischemic stroke.
• Multimodal imaging offers a comprehensive approach to assess these changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate ocular changes in patients with ischemic stroke.
• To explore the predictive value of ocular abnormalities for ischemic stroke.
• To develop an improved stroke prediction model.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 203 patients (62 ischemic stroke, 141 controls).
• Collection of traditional risk factors (age, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, etc.).
• Multimodal imaging: Doppler ultrasound, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences in central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFChT) between groups.
• Smoking, reduced CRAE, and decreased SFChT were associated with increased ischemic stroke risk (logistic regression).
• The combined prediction model demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy (ROC AUC = 0.726).

Conclusions:

• Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFChT) may serve as a diagnostic marker for ischemic stroke.
• Integrating ocular parameters (retinal artery diameter, choroidal thickness) with traditional risk factors enhances stroke prediction.
• This multimodal imaging approach aids in early detection and monitoring of ischemic stroke.