AIM: To investigate the correlation between intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis and ocular arterial blood flow and retinal vascular morphology.

METHODS: Totally, 251 patients admitted to our hospital due to suspected cerebral ischemia from January 2017 to June 2018 were selected. According to the degree of internal carotid artery stenosis, the patients were divided into non-stenosis group(39 cases), mild stenosis group(80 cases), moderate stenosis group(83 cases), and severe stenosis group(49 cases). The ocular hemodynamic indexes and retinal vascular diameters of the four groups were compared. The correlation and diagnostic value were analyzed between eye blood flow parameters and severe intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis.

RESULTS: In the severe stenosis group, the peak systolic velocity(PSV)and diastolic peak velocity(EDV)of ophthalmic artery(OA), central retinal artery(CRA)and posterior ciliary artery(PCA)were significantly lower than those of the other three groups. In the blood flow parameters of OA, CRA and PCA, PSV and EDV were significantly negatively correlated with severe intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis. The optimal diagnostic thresholds of PCA PSV and PCA EDV for severe intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis were 11.26cm/s and 5.21cm/s, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis was significantly negatively correlated with PSV and EDV in the ocular arteries. PCA PSV and PCA EDV were most sensitive to intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis under the same index.