Color Doppler Imaging in Retinal Vascular Diseases

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To describe the utility of Color Doppler in some vascular retinal diseases, such as Central Retinal Vein Occlusion, Retinal Angiomatosys and Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous. Methods: We performed a Color Doppler Imaging (CDI) examination using a 5–12 MHz linear probe of a Color Doppler Unit (ATL–Philips HDI 5000, Bothell, Wa, USA) in patients affected by different vascular diseases in order to detect the presence and the rate of the flow in these pathological entities. Results: Doppler spectral analysis showed an arterial flow in positive and, simultaneously, a venous flow in negative as the typical signal of central retinal artery and vein which course together into the optic nerve. According to different diseases, the result of vascular rate were from 0 cm/sec to 12,5cm/sec. In some cases CDI showed a vascular structure, as in Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous. Conclusions: CDI, already used in the study of ocular and orbital hemodynamics, represents a relative new modality in the evaluation of many periocular and intrabulbar vascular diseases. In some cases it can also be useful in making the decision of surgery (expected bleeding, modification of the vascular flow, etc.). CDI requires a special training for the operator in order to be able to acquire useful images. CDI proved to be feasible in very young children and represents a simple, fast, non–invasive method.

Keywords: imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • retina • retinal neovascularization