Abstract
Purpose::
To investigate the visual field (VF) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) status of the fellow eyes in patients with unilateral retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
Methods::
Fifty-seven patients with unilateral RVO and 43 normal control subjects were consecutively recruited. Of the 57 RVO patients, 32 subjects had branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), and 25 subjects had central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Each patient had a Humphrey visual field examination and scanning laser polarimetric (SLP) evaluation of RNFL using GDx-VCC. VF and RNFL status were compared between the fellow eyes of the patients with unilateral RVO and control eyes. We also assessed the risk factors for the development of glaucomatous damage in the fellow eyes of unilateral RVO patients.
Results::
Seventeen fellow eyes out of 57 patients with unilateral RVO showed glaucomatous VF and RNFL change. All VF (mean deviation, pattern standard deviation) and RNFL thickness parameters (TSNIT average, superior average, inferior average, and TSNIT standard deviation (SD)) in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). There was no difference of VF and RNFL parameters between BRVO and CRVO group. Increased age and vertical cup-to-disc ratio were consistently associated with severe VF and RNFL damage in the fellow eye of unilateral RVO patients. Neither intraocular pressure nor the period after the onset of RVO was associated with it.
Conclusions::
The fellow eyes in patients with unilateral RVO showed significantly worse VF indices and lower RNFL thickness than normal control eyes. Routine glaucoma screening should be carefully considered for the fellow eyes of unilateral RVO patients.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: biostatistics/epidemiology methodology • blood supply