Smartphone-enabled retinal arteriovenous imaging and correlation with coronary SYNTAX score

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging Technology

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) assessment often involves invasive angiography.
• Retinal imaging offers a non-invasive window into vascular health.
• The arteriovenous (AV) ratio is a potential biomarker for systemic vascular conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of measuring the retinal AV ratio using smartphone-based imaging.
• To compare smartphone retinal AV ratio measurements with traditional fundus camera imaging.
• To investigate the correlation between retinal AV ratio and coronary angiographic severity (SYNTAX score).

Main Methods:

• Smartphone retinal video imaging was performed on 102 coronary artery disease patients post-coronary angiography.
• Retinal artery and vein diameters were measured at 0.5 and 1.0 disc diameter (DD) using DICOM software.
• SYNTAX scores were calculated, and correlations between retinal AV ratios and CAD severity were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Analysable smartphone images were obtained in 89.2% of patients.
• Smartphone-derived AV ratios showed high correlation (Spearman's rho ≈ 0.80) with fundus camera measurements.
• A significant inverse correlation was found between smartphone AV ratio and coronary angiographic severity (p < 0.009).

Conclusions:

• Smartphone-based retinal AV ratio measurement is feasible and comparable to fundus camera imaging.
• This non-invasive method demonstrates a significant inverse relationship with the severity of coronary artery disease.
• Smartphone retinal imaging presents a promising tool for assessing vascular health in CAD patients.