PERIFOVEAL CAPILLARY NETWORK IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE CENTRAL RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION

Purpose: Reduction of visual acuity in patients with central retinal v ein occlusion (CRVO) is often caused by macular edema and ischemia. Th e major causative factor for macular changes may be a disturbance in t he macular microcirculation. The authors studied the perifoveal microc irculation in patients with central retinal Vein occlusion to quantify the extent of circulatory deficiency in the macular circulation. Meth ods: Twenty-four patients (8 men, 16 women) with recently diagnosed CR VO were included in this study. The following data were quantified: me an capillary blood velocity (CBV), foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and me an perifoveal intercapillary area (PIA). Results: In patients with CRV O, the mean flow velocity was significantly reduced compared with heal thy 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 sign ificantly enlarged in CRVO (5548 +/- 1151 mu m(2) vs. 3872 +/- 529 mu m(2); P < 0.01). Conclusions: 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.