Quantitative changes in blood-retinal barrier function in central retinal vein occlusion.
Posterior vitreous fluorescence was measured with a fluorophotometer 60 minutes after intravenous sodium fluorescein (14 mg/kg) in 6 patients (age range 30 to 54 years) with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Plasma free fluorescein was measured at frequent intervals for 60 minutes. A permeability index (PI) was estimated by dividing the area under the vitreous fluorescence scan by the area under the plasma free fluorescein curve. Initially mean PI was 24.3 (range 12.6-31.6) and 2.1 (range 1.3-31.) cm s-1 X 10(-7) in affected and unaffected eyes respectively. After 6 to 12 months, PI in affected eyes approached the values in the unaffected eyes of 5 patients with mild CRVO but remained elevated in one patient who presented with severe (ischaemic) CRVO. In each patient qualitative changes in retinal appearances paralleled quantitative changes in PI. The effect of venous outflow obstruction on the blood-retinal barrier can be quantitated by fluorophotometry.
D000328:Adult; D001769:Blood; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D005470:Fluorometry; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012169:Retinal Vein; D014792:Visual Acuity