Beyond pelvic pathology: retinal microvascular rarefaction as a systemic marker in endometriosis.
| Title: | Beyond pelvic pathology: retinal microvascular rarefaction as a systemic marker in endometriosis. |
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| Authors: | Keyif B; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duzce University, Duzce, Türkiye. betulkeyif@duzce.edu.tr.; Sezer T; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Duzce University, Duzce, Türkiye.; Çolak K; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Duzce University, Duzce, Türkiye.; Gündogdu ZB; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duzce University, Duzce, Türkiye.; Meydan B; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Duzce University, Duzce, Türkiye. |
| Source: | BMC women's health [BMC Womens Health] 2025 Jul 10; Vol. 25 (1), pp. 343. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Jul 10. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101088690 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1472-6874 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14726874 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Womens Health Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: [London] : BioMed Central, 2001- |
| MeSH Terms: | Endometriosis*/diagnostic imaging ; Endometriosis*/complications ; Retinal Vessels*/diagnostic imaging ; Retinal Vessels*/pathology ; Microvessels*/diagnostic imaging; Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods ; Humans ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Biomarkers ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Middle Aged |
| Abstract: | Objective: This study aimed to quantitatively assess retinal microvascular alterations in women with pelvic endometriosis using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and to explore whether these subclinical findings may reflect early signs of systemic microvascular alterations in this population.; Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 100 eyes were analyzed-50 from women with laparoscopically or ultrasonographically confirmed pelvic endometriosis and 50 from age-matched healthy female controls. All participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations and macular OCTA imaging using the Heidelberg Spectralis system. Quantitative parameters, including vessel area density (VAD), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) metrics (area, perimeter, circularity), and FD-300 values, were extracted from the superficial and deep capillary plexuses using the OCTAVA software. Segmental parafoveal VAD values (nasal, temporal, superior, and inferior) were also assessed. Axial length measurements and endometriosis staging were not available in this retrospective dataset. Hormonal therapy use was not systematically documented.; Results: Compared to healthy controls, women with endometriosis demonstrated significantly lower total and parafoveal VAD and FD-300 values in both retinal plexuses (p |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Ethics approval: This study was approved by the Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Duzce University (Approval No: 2025/142; Date: May 26, 2025). The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Endometriosis; FD-300; OCTA; Retina; Vascular density |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Biomarkers) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250710 Date Completed: 20250711 Latest Revision: 20250713 |
| Update Code: | 20260130 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12243217 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12905-025-03899-6 |
| PMID: | 40640800 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article