Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Retrobulbar Blood Flow in Patients with Psoriasis

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and retrobulbar hemodynamic parameters in patients with psoriasis. Methods: Twenty-five patients with psoriasis and 25 healthy individuals were enrolled as the control group. CIMT and blood flow rates (BFR) in vessels including the central retinal artery (CRA), posterior ciliary artery (PCA), and ophthalmic artery (OA) were measured using a high-resolution ultrasound device. Results: The mean CIMT was 0.668 ± 0.206 mm in the psoriasis group and 0.456 ± 0.108 mm in the control group ( P < 0.001). In the psoriasis group, the mean CRA peak systolic velocity (PSV) was 10.59 ± 2.77 mm/s, CRA end-diastolic velocity (EDV) was 2.67 ± 1.29 mm/s, PCA PSV was 9.85 ± 3.22 mm/s, PCA EDV was 3.09 ± 1.40 mm/s, OA PSV was 36.95 ± 12.25 mm/s, and OA EDV was 10.74 ± 4.26 mm/s. In the control group, the mean for CRA PSV was 11.32 ± 2.61 mm/s, 3.10 ± 1.13 mm/s for CRA EDV, 10.75 ± 3.05 mm/s for PCA PSV, 3.90 ± 1.27 mm/s for PCA EDV, 35.50 ± 11.59 mm/s for OA PSV, and 12.23 ± 4.56 mm/s for OA EDV. Conclusion: CIMT was thicker, and retrobulbar BFR, particularly the EDV of the CRA and PCA, was lower in patients with psoriasis. Psoriasis may be an independent risk factor for premature atherosclerosis and may present as increased flow resistance and decreased EDV in retrobulbar vessels at early ages.