Retinal Capillary Vessel Density and Foveal Avascular Zone Size in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis: A Case-Control Study.

In terms of blood flow per unit of tissue, the retina is one of the tissues with the highest blood flow in the body. Parameters such as the thickness of the choroid layer, which plays a crucial role in maintaining normal eye function, the dimensions of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) supplied by this layer, and retinal vascular networks can be measured using non-invasive methods. OCTA (Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography) is an imaging tool that enables the non-invasive assessment of retinal microvascular densities and the measurement of the foveal avascular zone's dimensions. Studies conducted to date indicate that retinal capillary vessels and the dimensions of the foveal avascular zone are affected in rheumatological diseases, especially associated with systemic inflammation. This study aims to compare retinal capillary vessel density and foveal avascular zone dimensions in patients with psoriatic arthritis against those in a healthy population and in patients with psoriasis who do not have psoriatic arthritis, utilizing the non-invasive method of optical coherence tomography angiography.