title: Blood flow velocity in monocular retinoblastoma assessed by color Doppler.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the flow of retrobulbar vessels in retinoblastoma by color Doppler imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of monocular retinoblastoma treated by enucleation between 2010 and 2014. The examination comprised fundoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography and color Doppler imaging. The peak blood velocities in the central retinal artery and central retinal vein of tumor-containing eyes (tuCRAv and tuCRVv, respectively) were assessed. The velocities were compared with those for normal eyes (nlCRAv and nlCRVv) and correlated with clinical and pathological findings. Tumor dimensions in the pathological sections were compared with those in magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography and were correlated with tuCRAv and tuCRVv. In tumor-containing eyes, the resistivity index in the central retinal artery and the pulse index in the central retinal vein were studied in relation to all variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen patients were included. Comparisons between tuCRAv and nlCRAv and between tuCRVv and nlCRVv revealed higher velocities in tumor-containing eyes (p < 0.001 for both), with a greater effect in the central retinal artery than in the central retinal vein (p = 0.024). Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography measurements were as reliable as pathology assessments (p = 0.675 and p = 0.375, respectively). A positive relationship was found between tuCRAv and the tumor volume (p = 0.027). The pulse index in the central retinal vein was lower in male patients (p = 0.017) and in eyes with optic nerve invasion (p = 0.0088).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TuCRAv and tuCRVv are higher in tumor-containing eyes than in normal eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography measurements are reliable. The tumor volume is correlated with a higher tuCRAv and a reduced pulse in the central retinal vein is correlated with male sex and optic nerve invasion.
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa B C
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bonanomi
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Osmar C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patricia Picciarelli
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.affiliation: São Francisco Medical School, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberta Chizzotti
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bonanomi
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chammas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002648:Child; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019574:Optic Nerve Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D047368:Tumor Burden; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult