Impaired retinal microcirculation in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND

The transparent ocular structure enables quantitative analysis of microvasculature of retina, a neuronal tissue affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine whether the retinal blood flow velocity and flow volume at the macula are impaired in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

METHODS

A total of 17 RRMS patients and 17 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were assessed. A retinal function imager was used to measure the blood flow velocity of retinal arterioles and venules and to calculate the total perifoveal blood flow volume.

RESULTS

The blood flow velocities of the retinal arterioles (3.34 ± 0.89 mm/s) and venules (2.61 ± 0.6 mm/s) were significantly lower in MS patients than normal subjects (arteriole: 4.10 ± 0.87 mm/s; venule: 3.22 ± 0.65 mm/s, both p = 0.01). In addition, the total perifoveal blood flow volume in arterioles (3.74 ± 1.64 nL/s) and venules (3.81 ± 1.60 nL/s) were significantly lower in MS patients than in normal subjects (arteriole: 4.87 ± 1.41 nL/s, p = 0.02; venule: 4.71 ± 1.64 nL/s, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

The impaired retinal microcirculation in RRMS patients indicates microvascular dysfunction in MS.