Choroidal perfusion in GCA patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Choroidal perfusion in Giant cell arteritis patients with no ophthalmic complications
IRAS ID
164476
Contact name
Ahmed Hamroush
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Southend Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 0 days
Research summary
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a disease that affects a lot of people in the UK and world wide. It causes inflammation and narrowing of the arteries resulting in decrease in blood supply to vital organs. GCA can cause different symptoms like headache, pain in the jaw or tongue, flu like symptoms, loss of vision, double vision and stroke. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of this condition is crucial because irreversible damage can affect one or both eyes. Diagnosis depends on clinical picture, blood tests and various other modalities with varying degrees of accuracy. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of two dye tests (Sodium fluorescein, and Indocyanine Green) in assessing the blood supply to a certain area in the eye called the choroid. The choroid contains one of the main blood supplies to the eye. Previous studies showed that in GCA patients who have eye complications, the blood supply to this layer is compromised. A few reports suggested that even in the absence of eye complications, GCA patients may still have inadequate blood supply to the choroid. All participants in this study will be under investigation for GCA and have no eye complications. Using dye tests will enable us to answer the question whether choroidal blood supply is affected in GCA patients even in the absence of eye problems. If the answer is yes, these dye tests can serve as a relatively none invasive diagnostic tool which can help identify GCA patients before the possibly irreversible eye complications happen. We would like to recruit patients who have been recently diagnosed with GCA and do not have any Ophthalmic complications .Suitable patients will have no carotid arteries disease, severe hypertension or any other ocular or general health problems that might affect blood supply to the eyes.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NE/1233
Date of REC Opinion
4 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion