Measurement of blood flow velocity in feeder vessels of choroidal neovascularization by a scanning laser ophthalmoscope and image analysis system.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the blood flow velocities in feeder vessels of patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration.


METHODS
We examined the early images of indocyanine green videoangiography (v-ICGA) in 29 patients (29 eyes) with CNV, in whom feeder vessels could be identified by v-ICGA. The v-ICGA images were installed in a personal computer. With original software, optical density measurements were performed for the determination of dye-dilution curves. The flow velocity in a CNV feeder vessel was obtained by analyzing the dye-dilution curves.


RESULTS
The mean flow velocity in feeder vessels was 33.8 +/- 32.5 mm/s. The flow velocity in feeder vessels of CNV with a diameter of 1.5 mm or larger was significantly higher than that in feeder vessels of CNV with a diameter smaller than 1.5 mm (P <.05, unpaired t-test).


CONCLUSIONS
The flow velocity in CNV feeder vessels can be measured with v-ICGA and a computer-based image analysis system. This system would be useful in the evaluation of choroidal circulation.
Yamamoto
Yoshihiro
Y
Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Medical School, Okayama, Japan.
D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply*; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D007834:Lasers; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D019721:Ophthalmoscopes; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000502:physiology
D004396:Coloring Agents; D007208:Indocyanine Green