Footnotes

• PC and MC contributed equally.

• Handling editor Josef S Smolen

• Contributors PC and MC designed the study, data analysis and manuscript writing. MSC and PT revised the data analysis and the manuscript. CC contributed to the clinical data. GA contributed the collection of OCTA images. CN coordinated the ophthalmology examination. RP coordinated all the studies, as well as reviewed the data and the manuscript writing.

• Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

• Competing interests None declared.

• Patient consent Obtained.

• Ethics approval Ethics Committee of the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

• Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.