Doppler sonography of ocular and carotid arteries in Behçet patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate by Doppler sonography carotid and ocular hemodynamics in Behçet disease with and without ocular involvement.


METHODS
Seventy-six patients with Behçet disease (BD) were separated into three groups: with active uveitis, with inactive uveitis, and without uveitis, and compared with 23 controls. We used duplex Doppler sonography to measure peak systolic (PSV), end-diastolic (EDV), and time-averaged mean (Vmean) blood flow velocity in the ophthalmic, central retinal (CRA), temporal posterior ciliary, nasal posterior ciliary (NPCA), common carotid (CCA), internal carotid (ICA) arteries, and maximum flow velocity (Vmax) in the central retinal veins. We then calculated resistance and pulsatility indexes of all arteries. Comparisons were carried out by two-way ANOVA and Holm-Sidak method.


RESULTS
Only two patients (2.6%) had atherosclerotic plaques, without significant hemodynamic consequence. Patients with uveitis had significantly lower ICA PSV and EDV (p < 0.05), and lower CRA PSV, EDV, and Vmean (p < 0.001) than controls. Patients with active uveitis had lower NPCA PSV and EDV than patients without uveitis or controls (p < 0.01). There were no differences in temporal posterior ciliary, ophthalmic, and CCA PSV, EDV, and in Vmean between groups (p > 0.05). Patients with uveitis had lower central retinal veins Vmax than patients without uveitis and than controls (p < 0.01). Resistance index, pulsatility index of retrobulbar arteries, CCA, and ICA were similar in the four groups (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with Behçet disease and ocular involvement have lower CRA, CRV, NPCA, and ICA blood flow velocities than healthy volunteers.
Akçar
Nevbahar
N
Department of Radiology, Eskisehir Osmangazi University Hospital, Meselik, Eskisehir.
Göktekin
Feyza
F
Ozer
Ahmet
A
Korkmaz
Cengiz
C
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019842:Ciliary Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D014605:Uveitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology