Retinal Vessel Leakage in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH · May 14, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a common cause of stroke and dementia. The molecular causes are unclear, limiting new therapies. Breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is characteristic and may damage brain tissue. However, specialist MRI scans to measure BBB breakdown are expensive and time-consuming.

In contrast, measuring leakage from retinal blood vessels is relatively simple. The blood-retina barrier is very similar to the BBB, and SVD is likely to damage retinal and brain blood vessels in the same way. If so, then retinal angiography could be used to study SVD pathogenesis...

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Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Membership in the Mild Stroke Study 3 cohort
• • Contrast enhanced MRI within 12 months
• • Clear optical media in both eyes, as assessed by study investigator
• • Best corrected visual acuity (near vision) ≥N36
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Any condition known to cause retinal leakage (i.e., worse than background diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, active uveitis, wet age-related macular degeneration, malignant hypertension)
• • Previous treatment for retinal leakage (retinal laser, intravitreal anti-VEGF)
• • Recent eye surgery
• • Shallow anterior chambers as assessed by torch test
• • Pregnancy, renal failure
• • Severe dementia
• • Known allergy to fluorescein
• • History of allergy such as food or drug induced urticaria or history of bronchial asthma
• • Any other severe or acute medical or psychiatric conditions
• • Inability to give informed consent