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Assessment of Retinal Arteriolar Morphology by SLDF

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Microcirculation in Cardiovascular Diseases

Part of the book series: Updates in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Protection ((UHCP))

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Abstract

The analysis of retinal vessels offers the exceptional opportunity to assess human microcirculation in vivo. However, for the assessment of vascular remodeling in vivo, two interrelated and indistinguishable features have to be taken into account, which are morphological changes (i.e., rearrangement and hypertrophy of vascular smooth muscle cells), but also changes in vascular tone (i.e., endothelial function). In the last years, several methods have been introduced for the assessment of retinal changes. One promising approach, introduced about two decades ago, is scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF) allowing both the dynamic assessment of structural and functional parameters repeatedly, directly, noninvasively, and safely in vivo with high reliability.

Since, this book focuses on retinal arteriolar morphology, we have mainly restricted the chapter on scientific established (i.e., wall-to-lumen ratio) retinal structural parameter, but in addition new features of retinal structural parameters (e.g., capillary rarefaction), which need the measurement of retinal capillary flow for determination, are discussed as well. Moreover, achieved data were set briefly in context to both underlying pathophysiological mechanism and findings. Further, we provide an overview of first treatment effects on SLDF-based retinal structural parameters in different clinical conditions (e.g., hypertension, stroke).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

    Christian Ott & Roland E. Schmieder

  2. Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Paracelsus Medical University, Nürnberg, Germany

    Christian Ott

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  1. Christian Ott
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  2. Roland E. Schmieder
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Correspondence to Roland E. Schmieder .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

    Enrico Agabiti-Rosei

  2. Division of Cardiovascular Sciences School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Anthony M. Heagerty

  3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

    Damiano Rizzoni

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Ott, C., Schmieder, R.E. (2020). Assessment of Retinal Arteriolar Morphology by SLDF. In: Agabiti-Rosei, E., Heagerty, A.M., Rizzoni, D. (eds) Microcirculation in Cardiovascular Diseases. Updates in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Protection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47801-8_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47801-8_3

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