Retinal vascular dynamics: A window for observing an irregular heartbeat. A case report

IF 1.9 4区医学 Q3 HEMATOLOGY

Microcirculation Pub Date : 2024-01-19 DOI:10.1111/micc.12844

Rebekka Heitmar, Paulus Kirchhoff, Andrew Blann, Konstantin Kotliar

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Abstract

Objective

We aimed to characterize several aspects of retinal vascular dynamics in a patient with arrythmia in order to elicit additional diagnostic information on microvascular dysfunction.

Methods

A 68-year-old male patient with arrythmia and an age- and gender-matched control subject underwent ocular examination including dynamic retinal vessel assessment with flicker light provocation. Retinal vessel diameters were measured continuously following a standard protocol (IMEDOS Systems, Jena, Germany). The data were evaluated using methods of signal analysis.

Results

Retinal vessel response following flicker provocation as well as local structural and functional behavior of retinal vessels were comparable between both individuals. The arrhythmia case demonstrated irregular arterial and venous heart rate (HR) pulsation with an average frequency of 1 Hz. Moreover, the case showed a higher magnitude and larger periods of low-frequency retinal vessel oscillations as well as lower periodicity of both HR pulsations and low-frequency vasomotions.

Conclusions

Besides numerical examination of irregular HR pulsations in case of arrhythmia, from the direct noninvasive assessment of retinal vessel dynamics one can derive more detailed information on microvascular function including the whole spectrum of retinal arterial and venous pulsations and vasomotions. This may have implications for health screening not limited to atrial fibrillation.

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视网膜血管动力学：观察不规则心跳的窗口。病例报告

我们的目的是描述一名心律失常患者视网膜血管动态的几个方面，以获得有关微血管功能障碍的更多诊断信息。

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来源期刊

Microcirculation 医学-外周血管病

CiteScore

5.00

自引率

4.20%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： The journal features original contributions that are the result of investigations contributing significant new information relating to the vascular and lymphatic microcirculation addressed at the intact animal, organ, cellular, or molecular level. Papers describe applications of the methods of physiology, biophysics, bioengineering, genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology to problems in microcirculation. Microcirculation also publishes state-of-the-art reviews that address frontier areas or new advances in technology in the fields of microcirculatory disease and function. Specific areas of interest include: Angiogenesis, growth and remodeling; Transport and exchange of gasses and solutes; Rheology and biorheology; Endothelial cell biology and metabolism; Interactions between endothelium, smooth muscle, parenchymal cells, leukocytes and platelets; Regulation of vasomotor tone; and Microvascular structures, imaging and morphometry. Papers also describe innovations in experimental techniques and instrumentation for studying all aspects of microcirculatory structure and function.