Evaluation of pulsatile choroidal blood flow in branch retinal vein occlusion.
BACKGROUND
The present study was undertaken to compare pulsatile choroidal blood flow in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) with the values in normal controls.


METHODS
The study included male and female patients with manifest BRVO (n=16) and a healthy sex- and age-matched control group (n=36). Fundus pulsation amplitude (FPA) was measured in the fovea by laser interferometry to assess pulsatile choroidal blood flow.


RESULTS
The FPA in eyes with BRVO (4.4 microm) was significantly higher than in the fellow eye (3.8 microm; P<0.0005). There was also a significant difference between the affected eye of the patients and the healthy control group (3.3 microm; P<0.0009).


CONCLUSIONS
The increase in FPA indicates increased choroidal blood flow resulting from some local mechanisms compensating for the decrease in retinal blood flow.
Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, University of Vienna, Austria.
Alexandra
A
Luksch
Noémi
N
Maár
Michael
M
Tittl
Erdem
E
Ergun
Oliver
O
Findl
Michael
M
Stur
Leopold
L
Schmetterer
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007368:Interferometry; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000503:physiopathology*