Background: Cigarette smoking has been associated with low blood velocity of ophthalmic artery, while systolic blood pressure has been positively correlated with velocities in the ophthalmic artery and the central retinal artery. These effects are the result of interaction of nicotine-induced peripheral vasoconstriction and vasodilation caused by carbon monoxide in smokers. OCTA is a novel, noninvasive scanning technology which allow visualizing of the retinal and choroidal circulation. It permits assessing the retinal vasculature layer by layer and allows physicians to take images of the deep capillary plexus with no dye injection.
Methods: retrospective case control study included 100 participants (50 smokers and 50 healthy nonsmokers) recruited from Ophthalmology Department in Beni -Suef University Hospital. Participants were equally divided into two groups: Group (1): Included 50 smokers otherwise healthy. Group (2): Included 50 normal subjects (nonsmokers) used as control. Both groups underwent OCTA study.
Results: A highly significant statistical difference between both groups regarding smoking duration, while age and gender were of no significant. No statistical difference between both groups regarding perfusion within retinal layers between both groups as recorded in whole image. Age, IOP and neovascularization were positively, correlated with duration of smoking, perfusion and choroidal thicknesses in all areas were negatively correlated with duration of smoking.
Conclusion: We did not find a significant difference in choroidal blood flow, vessel density, or choroidal thickness measurements between the study and control groups in a chronic period. We also noticed that OCTA is a good new noninvasive procedure for imaging choroidal circulation.