Abstract
BackgroundPatients with inherited diseases of the retina (IRD) often exhibit signs and symptoms of Flammer syndrome (FS). Acupuncture treatment has shown its positive effect on visual function in patients with IRD. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of acupuncture on signs and symptoms of FS in a cohort of patients suffering simultaneously FS and IRD.Patients and methodsA prospective pilot study was performed on 17 patients with FS and IRD: rod-cone dystrophy, Nr: 12 (RCD); cone-rod dystrophy, Nr: 3 (CRD) and inherited macular dystrophy, Nr: 2 (IMD; 12♀, 5♂; mean age: 44.19 y; SD ±17.09 y). Acupuncture treatment was done applying needle acupuncture of the body and the ears. The treatment was scheduled at 10 half-hour sessions over 5 weeks. Primary outcome was evaluation of the post-acupuncture effect on the signs and symptoms of FS in IRD patients using multiple-choice questionnaires.ResultsFollowing acupuncture, we found improvement in signs and symptoms of FS in patients suffering simultaneously IRD, as for instance (Nr. patients: improvement/suffering/total): a reduced tiredness (10/11/17), shorter sleep onset time (10/11/17), warmer feet and hands (10/10/17) and reduced frequency of headache attacks (9/11/17). Surprisingly, in four RCD patients and in one IMD patient, a reduction of macular edema was documented.ConclusionsThe applied acupuncture protocol for FS in IRD patients showed improvement in FS signs and symptoms and was tolerated well. Nevertheless, the objective evaluation of this complementary therapy on FS in IRD patients remains to be elucidated.
Highlights
Patients with inherited diseases of the retina (IRD) often exhibit signs and symptoms of Flammer syndrome (FS)
The most prominent sign in FS is the dysregulation of blood vessels, which has been discussed as an accompanying feature in a subgroup of IRD patients, namely in the rod-cone dystrophy (RCD) patients [7,8,9]
All IRD patients included in the study exhibited simultaneously a clinical picture of FS: RCD, 12 patients (24 eyes); CRD, 3 patients (6 eyes); IMD, 2 patients (4 eyes)
Summary
Patients with inherited diseases of the retina (IRD) often exhibit signs and symptoms of Flammer syndrome (FS). Acupuncture treatment has shown its positive effect on visual function in patients with IRD. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of acupuncture on signs and symptoms of FS in a cohort of patients suffering simultaneously FS and IRD. Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous group of diseases, characterized by progressive reduction of rod and/or cone photoreceptor cell function [1,2,3]. In RCD patients, the visual impairment is accompanied with additional factors, such as disturbed ocular blood flow, discussed to influence the progression of the degeneration [12,13,14,15,16]. Taking all of the discussed, the presence of FS in patients with RCD seems to be a predictor for disturbed blood flow regulation
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