Ictal and interictal optical coherence tomography angiography findings in patients with migraine

Abstract

Background & Objective: Previous studies have suggested that changes in ocular vessels may occur because of vascular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of migraine. This study aimed to evaluate the vascular density in the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) segment by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in ictal and interictal periods in patients with migraine.

Methods: In this study, the RPC vessel density was assessed by OCTA in the ictal and interictal periods in the same cohort consisting of 27 patients with migraine with and without aura. The ictal and interictal OCTA results were compared. Statistical analyses were done according to the sociodemographic and clinical data.

Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in vessel density in either the ictal or interictal periods in patients with migraine with and without aura.

Conclusion: Migraine may not have a direct impact on the RPC vessel density. However, the inconsistent results of OCTA in migraine cases may be due to the differences in the study designs in the literature. The protocols for OCTA use in migraine might help to homogenize study designs and improve data collection.