This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (6)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Cerebrovascular Disease  • Dementias  • Neuro-ophthalmology  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Alessandra Rufa, MD; Maria Teresa Dotti, MD; Paolo Frezzotti, MD; Nicola De Stefano, MD; Aldo Caporossi, MD; Antonio Federico, MD

Arch Neurol. 2004;61:1230-1233.

Background  Although cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is considered a cerebrovascular disorder with almost exclusively neurological symptoms, arteriopathy is generalized and also involves the choroid and retina.

Objective  To study optic nerve head microvascular function in CADASIL by assessing blood flow, volume, and velocity with a retina flowmeter.

Patients and Methods  Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry permits the noninvasive assessment of relative blood velocity, volume, and flow in a sample volume of either retina or anterior optic nerve head. Measurements were performed in a first group of 9 eyes of 5 patients with CADASIL and a second group of 8 eyes of 4 healthy subjects. Hemodynamic parameters were computed in 4 quadrants of the optic disc (superior nasal, superior temporal, inferior nasal, and inferior temporal). The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to assess differences in relative flow, volume, and velocity in each quadrant and between the 2 groups and differences in overall optic nerve head blood flow, volume, and velocity.

Results  Patients with CADASIL had a significant decrease in overall blood flow and volume compared with healthy subjects (P<.05). The reduction in blood flow and volume was particularly significant in the superior and inferior temporal quadrants. No significant differences were found nasally between the patients and the control groups.

Conclusion  Our results suggest that hemodynamic parameters are abnormal in the superficial nerve fiber layer of the optic nerve head of patients with CADASIL, especially in the temporal quadrants of the neuroretinal rim.

Author Affiliations: Departments of Neurological and Behavioural Sciences (Drs Rufa, Dotti, Federico, and De Stefano) and Ophthalmology and Neurosurgery (Drs Caporossi and Frezzotti), Medical School, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Impaired Endothelial Function of Forearm Resistance Arteries in CADASIL Patients
Stenborg et al.
Stroke 2007;38:2692-2697.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT