Waveform of ophthalmic artery Doppler flow predicts the severity of systemic atherosclerosis.
BACKGROUND
Doppler imaging of ophthalmic artery (OA), the first major branch of the internal carotid artery, provides anatomical advantages due to the vertical angle to the body surface and absence of ultrasonic obstacles. It was hypothesized that the Doppler waveform indices of OA correlate with severity of systemic atherosclerosis.


RESULTS
The study subjects were 180 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization and OA Doppler imaging (90 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 90 control patients). The ratio of stroke volume to pulse pressure, an index of arterial compliance, was closely associated with the ratio of systolic to diastolic mean velocity (Sm/Dm) in OA. The level of Sm/Dm increased in proportion with the increase in number of stenosed coronary arteries (0-vessel disease 2.1+/-0.3, 1-vessel disease 2.3+/-0.3, multi-vessel disease 2.6+/-0.5, P<0.0001). The Sm/Dm level in OA correlated positively with age, pulse pressure, pulse wave velocity, resistive index and pulsatility index in OA. The best Sm/Dm cut-off to predict CAD was 2.3, and patients with Sm/Dm >2.3 had 8.0-fold risk for CAD.


CONCLUSIONS
The waveform indices of OA are clinically useful for evaluating the severity of CAD and may help explain the missing link between OA circulation and systemic arterial compliance.
Maruyoshi
Hidetomo
H
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Kojima
Sunao
S
Kojima
Shinobu
S
Nagayoshi
Yasuhiro
Y
Horibata
Yoko
Y
Kaikita
Koichi
K
Sugiyama
Seigo
S
Ogawa
Hisao
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index