Optical Coherence Tomography in Patients with Chronic Migraine: Literature Review and Update

Francisco J Ascaso, Sara Marco, Javier Mateo, Mireya Martínez, Olivia Esteban, Andrzej Grzybowski, Francisco J Ascaso, Sara Marco, Javier Mateo, Mireya Martínez, Olivia Esteban, Andrzej Grzybowski

Abstract

Migraine is a chronic disease characterized by unilateral, pulsating, and often moderate-to-severe recurrent episodes of headache with nausea and vomiting. It affects approximately 15% of the general population, yet the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are not fully understood. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a safe and reproducible diagnostic technique that utilizes infrared wavelengths and has a sensitivity of 8-10 μm. It can be used to measure thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in some neurological disorders. Although ophthalmologists are often the first specialists to examine patients with migraine, few studies have addressed the involvement of the optic nerve and retino-choroidal structures in this group. We reviewed the literature on the etiological and pathological mechanisms of migraine and the relationship between recurrent constriction of cerebral and retrobulbar vessels and ischemic damage to the optic nerve, retina, and choroid. We also assessed the role of OCT for measuring peripapillary RNFL thickness and macular and choroidal changes in migraine patients. There is considerable evidence of cerebral and retrobulbar vascular involvement in the etiology of migraine. Transitory and recurrent constriction of the retinal and ciliary arteries may cause ischemic damage to the optic nerve, retina, and choroid in patients with migraine. OCT to assess the thickness of the peripapillary RNFL, macula, and choroid might increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of migraine and facilitate diagnosis of retino-choroidal compromise and follow-up of therapy in migraine patients. Future studies should determine the usefulness of OCT findings as a biomarker of migraine.

Keywords: choroid; migraine; optical coherence tomography; retina; retinal nerve fiber layer.

References

    1. Dinkin M. Trans-synaptic retrograde degeneration in the human visual system: slow, silent, and real. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep (2017) 17:16.10.1007/s11910-017-0725-2
    1. Ripa P, Ornello R, Degan D, Tiseo C, Stewart J, Pistoia F, et al. Migraine in menopausal women: a systematic review. Int J Womens Health (2015) 20:773–82.10.2147/IJWH.S70073
    1. Pietrobon D, Striessnig J. Neurobiology of migraine. Nat Rev Neurosci (2003) 4:386–98.10.1038/nrn1102
    1. Waters WE, O’Connor PJ. Prevalence of migraine. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry (1975) 38:613–6.10.1136/jnnp.38.6.613
    1. Friberg L, Olesen J, Lassen NA, Olsen TS, Karle A. Cerebral oxygen extraction, oxygen consumption, and regional cerebral blood flow during the aura phase of migraine. Stroke (1994) 25:974–9.10.1161/01.STR.25.5.974
    1. Steiner TJ, Stovner LJ, Birbeck GL. Migraine: the seventh disabler. Headache (2013) 53:227–9.10.1111/head.12034
    1. Malone CD, Bhowmick A, Wachholtz AB. Migraine: treatments, comorbidities, and quality of life, in the USA. J Pain Res (2015) 12:537–47.10.2147/JPR.S88207
    1. The International Classification of Headache Disorders. 2nd edition. Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. Cephalalgia (2004) 24:9–160.
    1. Sharma P, Sridhar J, Mehta S. Flashes and floaters. Prim Care (2015) 42:425–35.10.1016/j.pop.2015.05.011
    1. Charles A, Hansen JM. Migraine-aura: new ideas about cause, classification and clinical significance. Curr Opin Neurol (2015) 28:255–60.10.1097/WCO.0000000000000193
    1. McKendrick AM, Vingrys AJ, Badcock DR, Heywood JT. Visual field losses in subjects with migraine headaches. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci (2000) 41:1239–47.
    1. Drance S, Anderson DR, Schulzer M, Collaborative Normal-Tension Glaucoma Study Group . Risk factors for progression of visual field abnormalities in normal-tension glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol (2001) 131:699–708.10.1016/S0002-9394(01)00964-3
    1. Demircan S, Ataş M, Arık Yüksel S, Ulusoy MD, Yuvacı İ, Arifoğlu HB, et al. The impact of migraine on posterior ocular structures. J Ophthalmol (2015) 2015:868967.10.1155/2015/868967
    1. Cankaya C, Tecellioglu M. Foveal thickness alterations in patients with migraine. Med Arch (2016) 70:123–6.10.5455/medarh.2016.70.123-126
    1. Koban Y, Ozlece HK, Bilgin G, Koc M, Cagatay HH, Durgunlu EI, et al. Intraocular pressure and ocular biometric parameters changes in migraine. BMC Ophthalmol (2016) 16:70.10.1186/s12886-016-0258-5
    1. Galetta KM, Calabresi PA, Frohman EM, Balcer LJ. Optical coherence tomography (OCT): imaging the visual pathway as a model for neurodegeneration. Neurotherapeutics (2011) 8:117–32.10.1007/s13311-010-0005-1
    1. Kirbas S, Turkyilmaz K, Anlar O, Tufekci A, Durmus M. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in Alzheimer disease. J Neuroophthalmol (2013) 33:58–61.10.1097/WNO.0b013e318267fd5f
    1. Monterio ML, Fermandes DB, Apóstolos-Pereira SL, Callegaro D. Quantification of retinal neural loss in patients with neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis with or without optic neuritis using Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci (2012) 53:3959–66.10.1167/iovs.11-9324
    1. Colak HN, Kantarcı FA, Tatar MG, Eryilmaz M, Uslu H, Goker H, et al. Retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell complex, and choroidal thicknesses in migraine. Arq Bras Oftalmol (2016) 79:78–81.10.5935/0004-2749.20160024
    1. Kardon RH. Role of the macular optical coherence tomography scan in neuro-ophthalmology. J Neuroophthalmol (2011) 31:353–61.10.1097/WNO.0b013e318238b9cb
    1. Huang D, Swanson EA, Lin CP, Schuman JS, Stinson WG, Chang W, et al. Optical coherence tomography. Science (1991) 254:1178–81.10.1126/science.1957169
    1. Drexler W, Sattmann H, Hermann B, Ko TH, Stur M, Unterhuber A, et al. Enhanced visualization of macular pathology with the use of ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography. Arch Ophthalmol (2003) 121:695–706.10.1001/archopht.121.5.695
    1. Fercher AF. Optical coherence tomography – development, principles, applications. Z Med Phys (2010) 20:251–76.10.1016/j.zemedi.2009.11.002
    1. Yang Z, Tatham AJ, Zangwill LM, Weinreb RN, Zhang C, Medeiros FA. Diagnostic ability of retinal nerve fiber layer imaging by swept-source optical coherence tomography in glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol (2015) 159:193–201.10.1016/j.ajo.2014.10.019
    1. Sung KR, Wollstein G, Kim NR, Na JH, Nevins JE, Kim CY, et al. Macular assessment using optical coherence tomography for glaucoma diagnosis. Br J Ophthalmol (2012) 96:1452–5.10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-301845
    1. Parisi V, Manni G, Spadaro M, Colacino G, Restuccia R, Marchi S, et al. Correlation between morphological and functional retinal impairment in multiple sclerosis patients. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci (1999) 40:2520–7.
    1. Iseri PK, Altinas O, Tokay T, Yuksel N. Relationship between cognitive impairment and retinal morphological and visual functional abnormalities in Alzheimer disease. J Neuroophthalmol (2006) 26:18–24.10.1097/01.wno.0000204645.56873.26
    1. Yu JG, Feng YF, Xiang Y, Huang JH, Savini G, Parisi V, et al. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness changes in Parkinson disease: a meta-analysis. PLoS One (2014) 9:e85718.10.1371/journal.pone.0085718
    1. Ascaso FJ, Rodriguez-Jimenez R, Cabezón L, López-Antón R, Santabárbara J, De la Cámara C, et al. Retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness in patients with schizophrenia: influence of recent illness episodes. Psychiatry Res (2015) 229:230–6.10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.028
    1. Casas P, Ascaso FJ, Vicente E, Tejero-Garcés G, Adiego MI, Cristóbal JA. Retinal and optic nerve evaluation by optical coherence tomography in adults with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol (2013) 251:1625–34.10.1007/s00417-013-2268-9
    1. Sacco S, Ricci S, Carolei A. Migraine and vascular diseases: a review of the evidence and potential implications for management. Cephalalgia (2012) 32:785–95.10.1177/0333102412451361
    1. Martinez A, Proupim N, Sanchez M. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness measurements using optical coherence tomography in migraine patients. Br J Ophthalmol (2008) 92:1069–75.10.1136/bjo.2008.137471
    1. Larrosa-Campo D, Ramón-Carbajo C, Para-Prieto M, Calleja-Puerta S, Cernuda-Morollón E, Pascual J. Migraine as a vascular risk factor. Rev Neurol (2012) 55:349–58.
    1. Gonçalves FM, Luizon MR, Speciali JG. Haplotypes in candidate genes related to nitric oxide pathway and vascular permeability associated with migraine and aura. J Headache Pain (2012) 13:335–6.10.1007/s10194-012-0438-5
    1. Tzourio C, Iglesias S, Hubert JB, Visy JM, Alpérovitch A, Tehindrazanarivelo A, et al. Migraine and risk of ischaemic stroke: a case-control study. BMJ (1993) 307:289–92.10.1136/bmj.307.6899.289
    1. Silberstein SD. Migraine pathophysiology and its clinical implications. Cephalalgia (2004) 24:2–7.10.1111/j.1468-2982.2004.00892.x
    1. Tan FU, Akarsu C, Gullu R. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness is unaffected in migraine patients. Acta Neurol Scand (2005) 112:19–23.10.1111/j.1600-0404.2005.00423.x
    1. Goadsby PJ. Pathophysiology of migraine. Neurol Clin (2009) 27:335–60.10.1016/j.ncl.2008.11.012
    1. Perko D, Pretnar-Oblak J, Šabovič M, Zaletel M, Žvan B. Associations between cerebral and systemic endothelial function in migraine patients: a post-hoc study. BMC Neurol (2011) 11:146.10.1186/1471-2377-11-146
    1. Vanmolkot FH, Van Bortel LM, de Hoon JN. Altered arterial function in migraine of recent onset. Neurology (2007) 68:1563–70.10.1212/01.wnl.0000260964.28393.ed
    1. Aguggia M, Saracco MG, Cavallini M, Bussone G, Cortelli P. Sensitization and pain. Neurol Sci (2013) 34:S37–40.10.1007/s10072-013-1382-0
    1. Friedman DI. The eye and headache. Continuum (2015) 21(4 Headache):1109–17.10.1212/CON.0000000000000204
    1. Russo A, Tessitore A, Tedeschi G. Migraine and trigeminal system-I can feel it coming. Curr Pain Headache Rep (2013) 17:367.10.1007/s11916-013-0367-2
    1. Ayata C. Cortical spreading depression triggers migraine attack pro. Headache (2010) 50:725–30.10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01647.x
    1. Kara SA, Erdemoglu AK, Karadeniz MY, Altinok D. Colour Doppler sonography of orbital and vertebral arteries in migraineurs without aura. J Clin Ultrasound (2003) 31:308–14.10.1002/jcu.10181
    1. Wang SJ. Epidemiology of migraine and other types of headache in Asia. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep (2003) 3:104–8.10.1007/s11910-003-0060-7
    1. Schwedt TJ, Chiang CC, Chong CD, Dodick DW. Functional MRI of migraine. Lancet Neurol (2015) 14:81–91.10.1016/S1474-4422(14)70193-0
    1. Katz B. Migrainous central retinal artery occlusion. J Clin Neuroophthalmol (1986) 6:69–75.
    1. Abdul-Rahman AM, Gilhotra JS, Selva D. Dynamic focal retinal arteriolar vasospasm in migraine. Indian J Ophthalmol (2011) 59:51–3.10.4103/0301-4738.73717
    1. Killer HE, Forrer A, Flammer J. Retinal vasospasm during an attack of migraine. Retina (2003) 23:253–4.10.1097/00006982-200304000-00023
    1. Banik S, Bhutto HU, Bagga P. Recurrent branch retinal vein occlusion with factor V Leiden mutation. Eye (Lond) (2006) 20:948–9.10.1038/sj.eye.6702060
    1. Agostoni E, Rigamonti A. Migraine and small vessel diseases. Neurol Sci (2012) 33:51–4.10.1007/s10072-012-1041-x
    1. Hykin PG, Gartry D, Brazier DJ, Graham E. Bilateral cilio-retinal artery occlusion in classic migraine. Postgrad Med J (1991) 67:282–4.10.1136/pgmj.67.785.282
    1. Beversdorf D, Stommel E, Allen C, Stevens R, Lessell S. Recurrent branch retinal infarcts in association with migraine. Headache (1997) 37:396–9.10.1046/j.1526-4610.1997.3706396.x
    1. Flammer J, Pache M, Resink T. Vasospasm, its role in the pathogenesis of diseases with particular reference to the eye. Prog Retin Eye Res (2001) 20:319–49.10.1016/S1350-9462(00)00028-8
    1. Martínez A, Proupim N, Sanchez M. Scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation in migraine patients. Acta Ophthalmol (2009) 87:746–53.10.1111/j.1755-3768.2008.01356.x
    1. Sorkhabi R, Mostafaei S, Ahoor M, Talebi M. Evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in migraine. Iran J Neurol (2013) 12:51–5.
    1. Kirbas S, Tufekci A, Turkyilmaz K, Kirbas A, Oner V, Durmus M. Evaluation of the retinal changes in patients with chronic migraine. Acta Neurol Belg (2013) 113:167–72.10.1007/s13760-012-0150-x
    1. Gipponi S, Scaroni N, Venturelli E, Forbice E, Rao R, Liberini P, et al. Reduction in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in migraine patients. Neurol Sci (2013) 34:841–5.10.1007/s10072-012-1103-0
    1. Yülek F, Dirik EB, Eren Y, Simavlı H, Ugurlu N, Cagil N, et al. Macula and retinal nerve fiber layer in migraine patients: analysis by spectral domain optic coherence tomography. Semin Ophthalmol (2015) 30:124–8.10.3109/08820538.2013.833270
    1. Reggio E, Chisari CG, Ferrigno G, Patti F, Donzuso G, Sciacca G, et al. Migraine causes retinal and choroidal structural changes: evaluation with ocular coherence tomography. J Neurol (2017) 264:494–502.10.1007/s00415-016-8364-0
    1. Simsek IB. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness of migraine patients with or without white matter lesions. Neuroophthalmology (2016) 41:7–11.10.1080/01658107.2016.1243131
    1. Gunes A, Demirci S, Tok L, Tok O, Demirci S, Kutluhan S. Is retinal nerve fiber layer thickness change related to headache lateralization in migraine? Korean J Ophthalmol (2016) 30:134–9.10.3341/kjo.2016.30.2.134
    1. Ekinci M, Ceylan E, Cagatay HH, Keles S, Hüseyinoglu N, Tanyildiz B, et al. Retinal nerve fibre layer, ganglion cell layer and choroid thinning in migraine with aura. BMC Ophthalmol (2014) 14:75.10.1186/1471-2415-14-75
    1. Hougaard A, Amin FM, Hoffmann MB, Larsson HB, Magon S, Sprenger T, et al. Structural gray matter abnormalities in migraine relate to headache lateralization, but not aura. Cephalalgia (2015) 35:3–9.10.1177/0333102414532378
    1. Feng YF, Guo H, Huang JH, Yu JG, Yuan F. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness changes in migraine: a meta-analysis of case-control studies. Curr Eye Res (2016) 41:814–22.10.3109/02713683.2015.1056373
    1. Phelps CD, Corbett JJ. Migraine and low-tension glaucoma. A case-control study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci (1985) 26:1105–8.
    1. Stewart WF, Lipton RB, Dowson AJ, Sawyer J. Development and testing of the migraine disability assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire to assess headache related disability. Neurology (2001) 56:S20–8.10.1212/WNL.56.suppl_1.S20
    1. Wewers ME, Lowe NK. A critical review of visual analogue scales in the measurement of clinical phenomena. Res Nurs Health (1990) 13:227–36.10.1002/nur.4770130405
    1. Keller J, Sánchez-Dalmau BF, Villoslada P. Lesions in the posterior visual pathway promote trans-synaptic degeneration of retinal ganglion cells. PLoS One (2014) 9:e97444.10.1371/journal.pone.0097444
    1. Gupta S, Zivadinov R, Ramanathan M, Weinstock-Guttman B. Optical coherence tomography and neurodegeneration: are eyes the windows to the brain? Expert Rev Neurother (2016) 16:765–75.10.1080/14737175.2016.1180978
    1. Shiragami C, Shiraga F, Matsuo T, Tsuchida Y, Ohtsuki H. Risk factors for diabetic choroidopathy in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol (2002) 240:436–42.10.1007/s00417-002-0451-5
    1. Cohen AS, Goadsby PJ. Functional neuroimaging of primary headache disorders. Curr Pain Headache Rep (2005) 9:141–6.10.1007/s11916-005-0053-0
    1. Osmanbasoglu OA, Alkin Z, Ozkaya A, Ozpınar Y, Yazici AT, Demirok A. Diurnal choroidal thickness changes in normal eyes of Turkish people measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. J Ophthalmol (2013) 2013:687165.10.1155/2013/687165
    1. Lee SW, Yu SY, Seo KH, Kim ES, Kwak HW. Diurnal variation in choroidal thickness in relation to sex, axial length, and baseline choroidal thickness in healthy Korean subjects. Retina (2014) 34:385–93.10.1097/IAE.0b013e3182993f29
    1. Dadaci Z, Doganay F, Acir NO, Aydin HD, Borazan M. Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography of the choroid in migraine patients: implications for the association of migraine and glaucoma. Br J Ophthalmol (2014) 98:972–5.10.1136/bjophthalmol-2013-304711
    1. Karalezli A, Simsek C, Celik G, Eroglu FC. Evaluation of choroidal thickness using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in migraine patients during acute migraine attacks: a comparative study. Eye (Lond) (2014) 28:1477–81.10.1038/eye.2014.218
    1. Zengin MO, Elmas Z, Cinar E, Kucukerdonmez C. Choroidal thickness changes in patients with migraine. Acta Neurol Belg (2015) 115:33–7.10.1007/s13760-014-0301-3
    1. Dervisogullari MS, Totan Y, Gençler OS. Choroid thickness and ocular pulse amplitude in migraine during attack. Eye (2015) 29:371–5.10.1038/eye.2015.4
    1. Schwenn O, Troost R, Vogel A, Grus F, Beck S, Pfeiffer N. Ocular pulse amplitude in patients with open angle glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma, and ocular hypertension. Br J Ophthalmol (2002) 86:981–4.10.1136/bjo.86.9.981
    1. Knecht PB, Menghini M, Bachmann LM, Baumgartner RW, Landau K. The ocular pulse amplitude as a noninvasive parameter for carotid artery stenosis screening: a test accuracy study. Ophthalmology (2012) 119:1244–9.10.1016/j.ophtha.2011.12.040
    1. Acer S, Oğuzhanoğlu A, Çetin EN, Ongun N, Pekel G, Kaşıkçı A, et al. Ocular pulse amplitude and retina nerve fiber layer thickness in migraine patients without aura. BMC Ophthalmol (2016) 16:1.10.1186/s12886-015-0180-2
    1. O’Sullivan F, Rossor M, Elston JS. Amaurosis fugax in young people. Br J Ophthalmol (1992) 76:660–2.10.1136/bjo.76.11.660
    1. Connor RC. Complicated migraine. A study of permanent neurological and visual defects caused by migraine. Lancet (1962) 2:1072–5.10.1016/S0140-6736(62)90782-1
    1. La Pira F, Zappala G, Giuffrida S, Lo Bartolo ML, Reggio E, Morana R, et al. Memory disturbances in migraine with and without aura: a strategy problem? Cephalalgia (2000) 20:475–8.10.1046/j.1468-2982.2000.00074.x

Source: PubMed

スポンサーと協力者

医学的状態

薬物療法

3
購読する