Microvascular Density Analysis of Patients with Trigeminal Herpes Zoster—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study
<b>Purpose:</b> Varicella zoster virus (VZV) vasculopathy can occur in patients with herpes zoster (HZ). Our aim was to evaluate the retinal microvascular vessel density (VD) in patients with trigeminal HZ measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). <b>Methods</...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Eliane Luisa Esser Steven Brozmann Sebastian Dierse Martin Dominik Leclaire Nicole Eter Nataša Mihailovic Jan Ehrchen |
| author_facet | Eliane Luisa Esser Steven Brozmann Sebastian Dierse Martin Dominik Leclaire Nicole Eter Nataša Mihailovic Jan Ehrchen |
| author_sort | Eliane Luisa Esser |
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| description | <b>Purpose:</b> Varicella zoster virus (VZV) vasculopathy can occur in patients with herpes zoster (HZ). Our aim was to evaluate the retinal microvascular vessel density (VD) in patients with trigeminal HZ measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). <b>Methods</b>: 48 eyes of 24 patients with HZ and 48 eyes of 24 healthy age- and gender-matched controls were included in this study. All participants underwent an OCTA examination using RTVue XR Avanti with AngioVue. The VD data of the macular 3 × 3 mm OCT angiogram of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), the deep capillary plexus (DCP), and the choriocapillaris (CC) as well as the VD data of the optic nerve head (ONH) were extracted and analyzed. <b>Results:</b> The VD in the SCP, DCP, and CC of patients with HZ was significantly lower compared with healthy controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Equally, there was a noticeable reduction in the inside disk area of the ONH. There was no statistically noticeable reduction in the FAZ area and central retinal thickness. <b>Conclusions</b>: In this study, HZ patients demonstrated a decrease in the retinal VD of the SCP, DCP, ONH, and the CC. Quantitative analysis of retinal perfusion using OCTA may therefore help in the diagnosis and monitoring of HZ. Further studies must show to what extent this may be an indication of VZV-related vasculopathy and whether OCTA data can be used as a biomarker in these patients in the future. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| series | Biomedicines |
| spelling | doaj-art-dc2d92dddc0d46b9bdf61b3ada56742f2025-08-20T04:00:49ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-07-01137163010.3390/biomedicines13071630Microvascular Density Analysis of Patients with Trigeminal Herpes Zoster—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography StudyEliane Luisa Esser0Steven Brozmann1Sebastian Dierse2Martin Dominik Leclaire3Nicole Eter4Nataša Mihailovic5Jan Ehrchen6Department of Ophthalmology, University of Muenster Medical Center, 48149 Muenster, GermanyDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Muenster Medical Center, 48149 Muenster, GermanyDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Muenster Medical Center, 48149 Muenster, GermanyDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Muenster Medical Center, 48149 Muenster, GermanyDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Muenster Medical Center, 48149 Muenster, GermanyDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Muenster Medical Center, 48149 Muenster, GermanyDepartment of Dermatology, University Hospital of Muenster, 48149 Muenster, Germany<b>Purpose:</b> Varicella zoster virus (VZV) vasculopathy can occur in patients with herpes zoster (HZ). Our aim was to evaluate the retinal microvascular vessel density (VD) in patients with trigeminal HZ measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). <b>Methods</b>: 48 eyes of 24 patients with HZ and 48 eyes of 24 healthy age- and gender-matched controls were included in this study. All participants underwent an OCTA examination using RTVue XR Avanti with AngioVue. The VD data of the macular 3 × 3 mm OCT angiogram of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), the deep capillary plexus (DCP), and the choriocapillaris (CC) as well as the VD data of the optic nerve head (ONH) were extracted and analyzed. <b>Results:</b> The VD in the SCP, DCP, and CC of patients with HZ was significantly lower compared with healthy controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Equally, there was a noticeable reduction in the inside disk area of the ONH. There was no statistically noticeable reduction in the FAZ area and central retinal thickness. <b>Conclusions</b>: In this study, HZ patients demonstrated a decrease in the retinal VD of the SCP, DCP, ONH, and the CC. Quantitative analysis of retinal perfusion using OCTA may therefore help in the diagnosis and monitoring of HZ. Further studies must show to what extent this may be an indication of VZV-related vasculopathy and whether OCTA data can be used as a biomarker in these patients in the future.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/7/1630herpes zoster (HZ)vessel densitychoriocapillarisOCTAvaricella zoster virus (VZV)retinal thickness |
| spellingShingle | Eliane Luisa Esser Steven Brozmann Sebastian Dierse Martin Dominik Leclaire Nicole Eter Nataša Mihailovic Jan Ehrchen Microvascular Density Analysis of Patients with Trigeminal Herpes Zoster—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study Biomedicines herpes zoster (HZ) vessel density choriocapillaris OCTA varicella zoster virus (VZV) retinal thickness |
| title | Microvascular Density Analysis of Patients with Trigeminal Herpes Zoster—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study |
| title_full | Microvascular Density Analysis of Patients with Trigeminal Herpes Zoster—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study |
| title_fullStr | Microvascular Density Analysis of Patients with Trigeminal Herpes Zoster—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microvascular Density Analysis of Patients with Trigeminal Herpes Zoster—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study |
| title_short | Microvascular Density Analysis of Patients with Trigeminal Herpes Zoster—An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study |
| title_sort | microvascular density analysis of patients with trigeminal herpes zoster an optical coherence tomography angiography study |
| topic | herpes zoster (HZ) vessel density choriocapillaris OCTA varicella zoster virus (VZV) retinal thickness |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/7/1630 |
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