Acute effect of pseudoephedrine on macular microcirculation in healthy subjects: An optical coherence tomography angiography study

Author: Ibrahim Tuncer (Turkey)

Co-authors: Ugur Unsal

Purpose

To quantitatively evaluate the acute effects of pseudoephedrine on the macular microvasculature using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Setting/Venue

Alfa Medical Center, West Eye Center

Methods

In this study, 60 right eyes of 60 healthy subjects were divided into 2 groups. The study group received 60 mg of pseudoephedrine and the control group received a placebo. All participants underwent OCTA at baseline and 1 hour after oral intake. Superficial macular flow area, foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, superficial macular vessel density, central foveal thickness (CFT) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) were analyzed.

Results

Baseline superficial macular flow area, FAZ area, superficial macular vessel density, CFT and SFCT measurements in the study and control groups showed no significant difference (p>0.05 for all). Oral pseudoephedrine intake caused a significant reduction in baseline superficial macular flow area, FAZ area, superficial macular vessel density and SFCT measurements when compared with baseline (p<0.05 for all). However, there was no significant difference in CFT after oral pseudoephedrine intake (p>0.05).

Conlusions

Oral pseudoephedrine intake causes a significant decrease in superficial macular blood flow and SFCT. Impairmant of macular microcirculation can be detected noninvasively and quantitavitely by OCTA.

Financial Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The authors did not receive any financial support from any public or private sources.