ROLE OF THE VITREOUS AND MACULAR EDEMA IN BRANCH RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between macula r edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and the c ondition of the vitreous. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The authors retrospect ively studied 58 patients (58 eyes) who underwent vitreous examination . The eyes were classified as having vitreomacular attachment (VMA) or vitreomacular separation (VMS), and were divided into two groups base d on the mean age of the patients. RESULTS: Macular edema was found in 33 (67%) of the eyes. The prevalence of VMA was 81% (22 of 27 eyes) i n group 1 (patients who were 64 years old or younger) and 45% (14 of 3 1 eyes) in group 2 (patients who were older than 64 years). Although n o significant relationship was found, 77% (17 of 22) of the eyes with VMA in group 1 had macular edema. The incidence of macular edema was s ignificantly higher in eyes with VMA. (93%, 13 of 14) than in eyes wit h VMS (41%, 7 of 17, P=.009) in group 2. CONCLUSION: The authors' find ings suggest that VMA may influence the presence of macular edema asso ciated with BRVO.