Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Pediatric Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Ophthalmology Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2024 Jun;78(6):1297-1304. doi: 10.1002/jpn3.12208. Epub 2024 Apr 8.
To assess ocular microvasculature changes using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Patients (aged 6-18 years) with IBD were recruited between September 2021 and May 2023. All eligible participants underwent comprehensive clinical assessment and laboratory investigation. Patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders served as the controls. This study assessed specific IBD phenotypes, disease duration, clinical and endoscopic activity indices, laboratory markers, and medication histories. OCTA was utilized to evaluate ocular microvasculature changes in both groups.
A total of 63 children (mean age 12.9 ± 3.3 years) were enrolled, comprising 38 in the IBD group (16 ulcerative colitis, 22 Crohn's disease, and 25 in the control group). Most patients in the IBD group were in remission or had mild-to-moderate disease activity at enrollment. Analysis of the OCTA results revealed significant differences in the choroidal luminal area and total choroidal area between the IBD and control groups.
The study identified distinct ocular microvasculature changes in pediatric IBD patients through OCTA, suggestive of potential systemic endothelial dysfunction. These findings underscore the utility of OCTA in evaluating microvascular alterations associated with pediatric IBD, offering insights into potential systemic complications linked to inflammation in IBD patients.
利用光相干断层扫描血管造影术（OCTA）评估炎症性肠病（IBD）患儿的眼部微血管变化。
本研究于 2021 年 9 月至 2023 年 5 月期间招募了 IBD 患儿（6-18 岁）。所有符合条件的参与者均接受了全面的临床评估和实验室检查。功能性胃肠疾病患者作为对照组。本研究评估了特定的 IBD 表型、疾病持续时间、临床和内镜活动指数、实验室标志物和用药史。两组均采用 OCTA 评估眼部微血管变化。
共纳入 63 名儿童（平均年龄 12.9±3.3 岁），其中 IBD 组 38 名（溃疡性结肠炎 16 名，克罗恩病 22 名），对照组 25 名。大多数 IBD 组患者在入组时处于缓解期或疾病活动度为轻至中度。OCTA 结果分析显示，IBD 组和对照组之间脉络膜管腔面积和总脉络膜面积存在显著差异。
本研究通过 OCTA 发现了儿童 IBD 患者眼部微血管的明显变化，提示可能存在全身内皮功能障碍。这些发现突出了 OCTA 在评估与儿童 IBD 相关的微血管改变中的作用，为 IBD 患者炎症相关的潜在全身并发症提供了见解。
