Purpose:
To analyze longitudinal changes of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in retinal vein occlusion using optical coherence tomography.
Methods:
The 32 eyes of 32 patients who were diagnosed as branch retinal vein occlusion and central retinal vein occlusion and followed more than one year were analyzed. The thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer of normal eye and occluded eye was measured at the time of first diagnosis, 3 month, 6 month and 12 month using optical coherence tomography. We compared the changes of the occluded eye through the follow up period and the differences between the occluded eye and the normal eye at each period. We also analyzed the counter area of the occluded area.
Results:
The thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer in the retinal vein occlusion decreased significantly at the 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, 12 month compared to the initial thickness (p<0.05). Also the thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer in the retinal vein occlusion at 3 and 6 month was not statistically significant between normal eye and occluded eye, but at 12 month, there was statistically significant thinning in the occluded eye(p<0.05). Analyzing the counter area of branch retinal vein occlusion, there was no significant change during the follow up period and no differences between the occluded eye and the normal eye(p>0.05).
Conclusions:
There was significant decrease of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness over time in the retinal vein occlusion and significant thinning at the 12 month period compared to the normal eye. Therefore, the finding of thinning area of retinal nerve fiber layer needs differentiation with glaucoma or associated systemic disease but should also be considered as natural course after retinal vein occlusion.
Keywords: vascular occlusion/vascular occlusive disease • nerve fiber layer • imaging/image analysis: clinical