Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2025
Fundus Photography as a Convenient Tool to Study Microvascular Responses to Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Epidemiological Studies
Published on: October 22, 2014
Effect of Buerger's disease on ocular microvascular structure
Halil Ibrahim Atesoglu1, Mehmet Citirik2, Ugur Bengisun3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Tatvan State Hospital, Bitlis, Turkey.
Clinical Relevance:
Buerger's disease, being a systemic inflammatory vasculopathy, may present with ocular findings.
Background:
This study aims to understand the potential role of optical coherence tomography and angiography findings in evaluating the course of Buerger's disease.
Methods:
This was a prospective, cross-sectional study that included 25 patients with Buerger's disease (Group 1) and 51 healthy control participants, of whom 27 were smokers (Group 2) and 24 were non-smokers (Group 3). Following a detailed ophthalmic examination, optical coherence tomography and angiography measurements were conducted on participants. The values of macular superficial and deep capillary plexus, peripapillary capillary plexus vessel density measurements were taken into account from optical coherence tomography angiography measurements. Furthermore, measurements were taken for the parameters of the foveal avascular zone, including its area, perimeter and acircularity index. Additionally, the choriocapillaris flow area was assessed between radii of 1 mm, 2 mm, and 3 mm.
Results:
In patients with Buerger's disease, the area and perimeter of the foveal avascular zone were higher than in both smoker and non-smoker healthy groups (p < 0.001 for all). The vessel densities in superficial capillary plexus were found to be lower in patients with Buerger's disease compared to both smokers and non-smokers in all regions except the parafovea (p < 0.05 for all). The radial peripapillary capillary plexus vessel densities in the whole retina and peripapillary region were lower than those in the non-smoker group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.008). The choriocapillaris flow areas in all three radius were lower in the smoker group than in the non-smoker group (1 mm, p = 0.01; 2 mm, p = 0.005; 3 mm, p = 0.011).
Conclusions:
Buerger's disease extends beyond the extremities, affecting vascular density and tissue perfusion in the optic disc and macula, making it a systemic condition. This disease can have ocular involvement without causing serious ocular findings.
