Association between integrity of foveal photoreceptor layer and visual acuity in branch retinal vein occlusion.
OBJECTIVE
To study the correlation between integrity of the photoreceptor layer after resolution of macular oedema (MO) associated with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and final visual acuity (VA), and to determine prognostic factors for visual outcome.


METHODS
We retrospectively studied 46 eyes from 46 patients with resolved MO secondary to BRVO, the foveal thickness of which was less than 250 microm at final observation. We assessed the status of the third high reflectance band (HRB) in the fovea using optical coherence tomography (OCT) at final observation, and studied OCT images taken at the initial visit in the hope of identifying a factor that would be prognostic of visual outcome.


RESULTS
No differences were found in initial VA or in foveal thickness between eyes with or without complete third HRB at final observation. However, final VA in eyes without a complete HRB was significantly poorer (p<0.002). Additionally, initial status of the third HRB in the parafoveal area of unaffected retina was associated with final VA; lack of visualisation of the third HRB at 500 microm (p = 0.0104) or 1000 microm (p = 0.0167) from the fovea on initial OCT images was associated with poor visual recovery after resolution of the MO.


CONCLUSIONS
Integrity of the photoreceptor layer in the fovea is associated with VA in resolved MO, and status of the third HRB before treatment might be predictive of visual outcome.
Ota
Masafumi
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Tsujikawa
Akitaka
A
Murakami
Tomoaki
T
Kita
Mihori
M
Miyamoto
Kazuaki
K
Sakamoto
Atsushi
A
Yamaike
Noritatsu
N
Yoshimura
Nagahisa
N
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate; D011379:Prognosis; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity