Abstract
Purpose :
The vessel density (VD) of the diseased vascular arcades in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) was measured by means of OCT-A (Optovue Avanti) and compared to the normal vasculature in the fellow eye and put in relation to visual acuity (VA).
Methods :
The Optovue OCT-A is capable to identify the retinal vessel density in different retinal layers. We included 22 Patients with a mean age of 56 years (range +-8) and RVO. Eight patients had CRVO and 14 had BRVO. VD was measured along the diseased retinal vascular arcades (both arcades in CRVO, one arcade in BRVO) and compared to the VD in the healthy fellow eye. Finally we analyzed whether VD decreased in eyes with RVO and whether reduced VD was correlated with VA.
Results :
Compared to the fellow eyes, VD in OCT-A was 21% (range: 4% to 32%) less in the area of vascular arcades with RVO. In the deep capillary plexus, VD was 26% less compared to the fellow eye. The difference was more pronounced in the deep capillary vascular network. A correlation in VD reduction and visual acuity was present. The less VD we found in the deep capillary plexus, the worse was VA. Unfortunately in CRVO only in 75% (6 eyes) of eyes an accurate reading was obtained, 25% (2 eyes) were not gradable due to low imaging quality. In BRVO all eyes were readable.
Conclusions :
Optovue OCT-A allows an assessment of VD of the superficial and deep capillary plexus, even in eyes with RVO. Reduced VD was found in the deep plexus along the retinal vascular arcades in RVO and correlated with VA. Poor VD in the deep vascular network may have a poor prognosis for VA.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.