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Evaluation of retinal and optic disc vascular structures in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) via optical coherence tomography angiography

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Abstract

Introduction

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an auto-immune disease characterized by fever and serositis. With this study, we aimed at comparing the retinal vascular structures of FMF patients and healthy individuals using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) device.

Materials and methods

Sixty-nine patients with FMF and 52 healthy controls who were matched by age and sex, didn’t have any comorbidities and were admitted to our clinic for routine ophthalmic examination were enrolled in the study. Sixty-nine eyes of 69 patients and 52 eyes of 52 healthy controls that were not disqualified due to the exclusion criteria were included in the study. OCTA images of the patients and controls were analyzed.

Results

The mean average age (± SD) of 69 FMF patients included in the study was 39.86 ± 13.16. Forty-nine patients were female, and twenty patients were male. Total vascular density of deep capillary plexus (DCP) and vascular density of DCP parafovea of the FMF patients were found to be statistically significantly lower than those of the controls (p = 0.045, p = 0.034, respectively), while total retinal parafoveal thickness, total retinal perifoveal thickness, outer retinal parafoveal thickness and outer retinal perifoveal thickness were statistically significantly higher in the patient group compared with the control group (p = 0.012, p = 0.014, p = 0.013, p = 0.009, respectively).

Conclusions

This study found reduced vascular density and increased retinal thickness in patients with FMF compared to controls. Larger studies are required to further explore the effect of FMF on the retina.

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Data availability

The data supporting the findings of the study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

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Funding

No funding was received for conducting this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, 07050, Konyaaltı, Antalya, Turkey

    Mehmet Bulut & Yigit Caglar Bozdogan

  2. Department of Rheumatology, Physical Medicine Rehabilitation, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Antalya, Turkey

    Oznur Kutluk, Ulku Ucar & Hasan Fatih Cay

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, Antalya Serik State Hospital, Antalya, Turkey

    Birumut Gedık

  4. Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Antalya Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Antalya, Turkey

    Muhammet Huseyin Sari

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  1. Mehmet Bulut
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by MB, HFC, BG, OK and YCB. The draft of the manuscript was written by MB, HFC, BG, YCB, OK, UU and MHS read, revised, and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mehmet Bulut.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare no funding was received and no conflict of interest/competing interests.

Ethical approval

The study protocol was approved by the Health Sciences University Antalya Training And Research Hospital (Date: 18.03.21 No:3/17).

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Written consent was acquired by all participants.

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Bulut, M., Kutluk, O., Gedık, B. et al. Evaluation of retinal and optic disc vascular structures in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) via optical coherence tomography angiography. Int Ophthalmol 43, 2171–2181 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-022-02613-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-022-02613-x

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