Perifoveal capillary network in patients with acute central retinal vein occlusion

• Published in: Ophthalmology (Rochester, Minn.) Vol. 104; no. 1; p. 33
• Main Authors: Remky, A, Wolf, S, Knabben, H, Arend, O, Reim, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-01-1997
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Blood Flow Velocity; Capillaries - pathology; Capillaries - physiopathology; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Fovea Centralis - blood supply; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Male; Middle Aged; Regional Blood Flow; Retinal Vein Occlusion - complications; Retinal Vein Occlusion - physiopathology; Retinal Vessels - pathology; Retinal Vessels - physiopathology; Visual Acuity
• ISSN: 0161-6420
• DOI: 10.1016/S0161-6420(97)30365-0

Reduction of visual acuity in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is often caused by macular edema and ischemia. The major causative factor for macular changes may be a disturbance in the macular microcirculation. The authors studied the perifoveal microcirculation in patients with central retinal vein occlusion to quantify the extent of circulatory deficiency in the macular circulation.
Twenty-four patients (8 men, 16 women) with recently diagnosed CRVO were included in this study. The following data were quantified: mean capillary blood velocity (CBV), foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and mean perifoveal intercapillary area (PIA).
In patients with CRVO, the mean flow velocity was significantly reduced compared with healthy subjects (1.63 +/- 0.220 mm/sec vs. 2.89 +/- 0.41 mm/sec, P < 0.01). The FAZ and the mean PIA characterizing capillary density were significantly enlarged in CRVO (5548 +/- 1151 microm2 vs. 3872 +/- 529 microm2; P < 0.01).
The present study demonstrates that CRVO not only led to a decrease in capillary blood velocities, but also to an enlargement of perifoveal intercapillary areas in early stages of the disease.