Initial color Doppler findings in retinal vein occlusion

Purpose. We assessed early hemodynamic characteristics of various types of retinal vein occlusion using color Doppler imaging and spectral analysis. Methods. We measured the maximum systolic and diastolic blood flow velociti es and the resistance index (RI) in the central retinal artery and the maxi mum and minimum blood flow velocities in the central retinal vein of affect ed eyes and contralateral unaffected eyes in 102 adults (63 men and 39 wome n; mean age, 61 +/- 14.6 years) who presented with retinal vein occlusion. Sixty-three control subjects (27 men and 36 women; mean age, 50 +/- 22.1 ye ars) were also investigated. Results. No significant differences in hemodynamic characteristics were fou nd between the control subjects' eyes and the patients' unaffected eyes. In the 18 cases of ischemic central retinal vein occlusion, the mean diastoli c arterial flow velocity (p = 0.005) and venous flow velocity (p < 0.04) we re lower and the mean RI was higher (p = 0.0002) in the affected eyes than in the unaffected contralateral eyes; In the 51 cases of nonischemic centra l retinal vein occlusion, the mean diastolic arterial flow velocity (p < 0. 0001) and venous flow velocity (p < 0.0001) also were lower and the mean RI (p < 0.0001) was higher in the affected eyes than in the unaffected contra lateral eyes. These variables were different in the ischemic versus nonisch emic types of central retinal vein occlusion. In the 33 cases of branch ret inal vein occlusion, no significant differences were observed in arterial o r venous blood flow velocities in the affected versus unaffected eyes. The mean RI in the affected eyes was significantly higher (p = 0.009) in patien ts with central versus branch retinal vein occlusion. Conclusions, These results suggest that previous arterial disorders were no r involved in the pathogenesis of central retinal vein occlusion in these p atients. The findings also support the value of Doppler imaging and spectra l analysis in the diagnosis and evaluation of retinal vein occlusion and co nfirm the involvement of arterial flow in venous occlusion. (C) 2000 John W iley & Sons, Inc.