title: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome and coronary artery ectasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether pseudoexfoliation syndrome is associated with coronary artery ectasia or not.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was undertaken at Bulent Ecevit University's Ophthalmology Department with the participation of the Cardiology Department. Eighty consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography and were classified into two groups-those diagnosed with a normal coronary artery (n=40) and those diagnosed with coronary artery ectasia (n=40)-were included in the study. Pseudoexfoliation was diagnosed if typical exfoliation material was found to be present on the anterior surface of the lens, the iris, or at the pupillary border on slit-lamp examination. Age, sex, presence of pseudoexfoliation material, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia rates, cigarette smoking history, and family history of coronary artery disease were compared between the two groups. The continuous variables were compared by using the independent sample t-test or the Mann-Whitney U-test, and the categorical variables were compared using Pearson's χ(2)-test or Fisher's Exact χ(2)-test for the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in demographic data of both groups. The presence of pseudoexfoliation material was more common in patients with coronary ectasia compared with controls [(n=21 (52.5%) vs n=8 (20%), P=0.005)]. In all patients, there was a higher glaucoma rate in the patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome [n=7 (24.1%), 6 CAE (+), 1 CAE (-)] than in the normal patients [n=2 (3.9%), 2 CAE (-)] (P=0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we found a possible association of pseudoexfoliation and coronary artery ectasia. Coronary artery ectasia patients had higher prevalence of pseudoexfoliation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bulent Ecevit University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Akdemir
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Bulent Ecevit University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sayin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bulent Ecevit University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Armut
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Bulent Ecevit University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akpinar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bulent Ecevit University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ugurbas
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology