title: The effect of intravitreal bevacizumab on ocular blood flow in diabetic retinopathy and branch retinal vein occlusion as measured by laser speckle flowgraphy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the effect of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) on macular edema associated with diabetic retinopathy (DME) or branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVOME) using laser speckle flowgraphy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparative interventional study of 25 eyes from 22 patients with macular edema (DME group: 12 eyes; BRVOME group: 13 eyes) who underwent IVB. Mean blur rate (MBR) was measured in the retinal artery, retinal vein, optic nerve head (ONH), and choroid before and after IVB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the BRVOME group, there was no significant change in MBR in the retinal artery, retinal vein or ONH, but choroidal MBR decreased significantly (P=0.04). In the DME group, the MBR in the retinal artery, retinal vein, ONH, and choroid decreased significantly (P=0.02, P=0.04, P<0.001, and P=0.04, respectively). In the DME group, pre-IVB MBR in the ONH was significantly correlated with post-IVB foveal thickness (R= -0.71, P=0.002). There was no such correlation in the BRVOME group in the ONH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IVB had a suppressive effect on circulation in eyes with DME but not in those with BRVOME. This suggests that this noninvasive and objective biomarker may be a useful part of pre-IVB evaluations and decision-making in DME.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors: Fumihiko
authors: F
authors: Nitta
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan ; Department of Retinal Disease Control, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Kunikata
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors: Naoko
authors: N
authors: Aizawa
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors: Kazuko
authors: K
authors: Omodaka
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors: Yukihiro
authors: Y
authors: Shiga
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Yasuda
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan ; Department of Retinal Disease Control, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan ; Department of Advanced Ophthalmic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Nakazawa
keywords: biomarker; macular edema; mean blur rate; ocular circulation; optic nerve head