Early subclinical macular disease in asymptomatic patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome: A quantitative multimodal retinal evaluation

Abstract

Purpose

To perform a quantitative multimodal evaluation in 25 patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) without ocular complaints and to compare them with 25 healthy individuals.

Methods

A structural and functional ophthalmological evaluation using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and microperimetry (MP) exam in 25 patients with PAPS, followed at a tertiary rheumatology outpatient clinic, was performed. All ophthalmologic manifestations were documented and subsequent statistical analysis was performed for comparative purposes, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results

We included 100 eyes of 50 subjects (25 patients with PAPS without ocular complaints and 25 healthy individuals). Quantitative OCTA assessment revealed significant differences between PAPS patients and controls in both the superficial vascular complex (SVC) and deep vascular complex (DVC) using high-speed protocol, as well as in the SVC in the high-resolution protocol. Analysis of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters showed a larger area of FAZ in the DVC in PAPS patients using the high-speed method compared to the control group (p = 0.047). In MP quantitative analysis, the PAPS group exhibited lower central (p = 0.041) and global (p < 0.001) retinal sensitivity compared to the control group, along with sectoral differences, except in the inferior sector.

Conclusions

PAPS patients present lower vascular density and retinal sensitivity compared to the control group, even in patients without paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM). Our findings underscore the significance of ocular evaluation beyond symptomatic assessment in these patients.