Evaluation of arterial blood flow changes by orbital Doppler in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
OBJECTIVE
Both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. They primarily affect the lungs, but they have various extrapulmonary manifestations. The aim of our study was to evaluate the hemodynamic changes in orbital vessels of the patients with COPD and asthma using color Doppler ultrasonography and compare the results with healthy control subjects.


METHODS
Thirty-seven patients with COPD, 37 patients with asthma, and 41 healthy control subjects were included in this study. All patients with COPD were in moderate to severe group according to GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease), and similarly, all patients with asthma were in moderate to severe persistent group according to GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma) 2006 guidelines. End-tidal carbon dioxide, peripheral oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and respiratory rate were measured by using pulse oximeter in all patients. Measurements were performed in only 1 randomly selected eye of each participant. The peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, and resistance index were measured in the central retinal artery, temporal posterior ciliary artery, and nasal posterior ciliary artery using the color Doppler ultrasonography technique.


RESULTS
The peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, and resistance index values of temporal posterior ciliary artery and nasal posterior ciliary artery were significantly higher in COPD and asthma than in the control subjects. There was no difference between asthma and COPD.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that retrobulbar hemodynamics change in COPD and asthma is showing 1 of the systemic effects in these diseases.
From the *Department of Radiology, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara; †Department of Opthalmotology, Medeniyet University, İstanbul; ‡Department of Chest Diseases, Turgut Özal University Medical School; and §Department of Chest Diseases, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Zeynep Ilerisoy
ZI
Yakut
Remzi
R
Karadağ
Duygu
D
Ozol
Aysegul
A
Senturk
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019842:Ciliary Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color