Retinal vascular fractals in Behçet’s Disease: A screening method?

OBJECTIVE: The branching pattern of retinal vessels may be affected in Behçet’s Disease (BD). Fractal analysis can be used as a new method to quantify the changes of the vascular branching pattern. In this study, we examined, for the first time, the relationship between retinal fractal dimension (D(f)) and retinal vascular changes seen in patients with BD. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 10 new cases of BD with clinically ocular involvement. Color fundus images taken from both eyes of the participants have been analyzed, and D(f) of the whole retinal vasculature was quantified using a novel computer-based program. The resultant D(f) was compared with that of healthy individuals. RESULTS: The mean D(f), calculated from 20 fundus images of cases with BD, was 1.59 ± 0.064. It was lower than that of healthy participants (1.65 ± 0.060) significantly (P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Retinal fractal analysis of cases with BD has been performed for the first time, and the results showed that early retinal vascular changes seen in new cases of BD are associated with lower retinal D(f). Retinal fractal analysis in BD can be practically utilized as a potential tool for screening of retinal involvement, evaluating the prognosis and the response to treatment.