ALTERATIONS IN PERICORNEAL VESSELS AS A M ARKER FOR GENERAL VASCULAR DISORDERS

Background To evaluate the extent of morphological changes of the peri limbal vessels of the conjunctiva in patients with general vascular di sorders. Materials and Methods With a questionaire systemic vessel dis eases were investigated in 285 patients (m:f=145:140; mean age=54 +/- 19 years) with pericorneal vessel alterations. Persons without any mor phological alteration of the perilimbal vessels served as control grou p (n=58; m:w=44: 14; mean age 26 +/- 13 years). Results In the patient group we found the following pericorneal vessel alterations: vessel e ctasia in 79%, vessel aneurysma in 41%, vessel interruptions in 37% an d avascular regions in 12%. The distribution of the three most frequen t systemic vascular processes in the patient/control group was: periph eral vascular spasm (cold hands and/or feet) in 57%/19%, migraine in 3 9%/14% and arterial hypertension in 33%/3%. Conclusion Alterations in perilimbal vessels seem to be correlated with systemic vascular disord ers. In case of perilimbal vascular anomalies an internal medical exam ination should be considered.