title: CHOROIDAL BLOOD FLOW AND THICKNESS AS PREDICTORS FOR RESPONSE TO ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR THERAPY IN MACULAR EDEMA SECONDARY TO BRANCH RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the choroidal blood flow and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) in eyes with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients with macular edema secondary to a BRVO were treated with a single intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (IVR) and were followed for 2 months. The central retinal thickness and SCT, and the retinal and choroidal blood flows were evaluated, and they were compared between the recurrent and resolved groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the baseline, the SCT of eyes with a BRVO was significantly thicker than that of the fellow eye (P < 0.01). It was also significantly thicker in the recurrent group than in the resolved group (P = 0.03). The reduction of the retinal blood flow was found only after 1 week in the resolved group. The SCT and choroidal blood flow were significantly reduced during the follow-up period in the resolved group but not in the recurrent group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The choroid is involved in the pathology of BRVO and the SCT at the baseline may be a predictive factor in the treatment of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab for macular edema secondary to BRVO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Taiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Nahoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ogata
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab