Abstract

We investigated the characteristics of microvessel tortuosity in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and their associations with visual outcomes using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Thirty-four BRVO and 21 CRVO patients and 31 healthy subjects were included. From OCTA, the branch number (BN), mean branch length (BL), mean Euclidean length (EL), vessel density (VD) and vessel tortuosity (VT) were quantified. In BRVO eyes, compared with that in the controls, the affected area of the deep capillary plexus (DCP) showed a decreased BN and VD, an increased BL, and unchanged VT. The nonaffected area of the DCP showed decreases in BN, VD and VT. The affected area of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) showed higher VT. In CRVO eyes, the DCP showed a lower BN, VD and VT, while the SCP showed a lower BN and greater BL and EL. Improved visual acuity (VA) after 1 year in BRVO eyes was associated with decreases in BN, BL, VD and VT in the affected area in the DCP and lower VT in the nonaffected area of the SCP; in CRVO eyes, improved VA was associated with a higher BL and EL in the DCP. VT, BL, and EL may be new microvascular markers associated with changes in VA in BRVO and CRVO.

Highlights

  • We investigated the characteristics of microvessel tortuosity in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and their associations with visual outcomes using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA)

  • Increased venous tortuosity of large vessels in Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is known to decrease after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) t­reatment[6], suggesting that venous tortuosity reflects the degree of severity of venous occlusion in RVO

  • We investigated the microvascular changes in RVO and their association with visual acuity (VA)

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Summary

Introduction

We investigated the characteristics of microvessel tortuosity in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and their associations with visual outcomes using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). In the present study, we aimed to reveal new vascular biomarkers reflecting capillary ischemia resulting from venous stasis in RVO using OCTA To achieve this goal, the detailed characteristics of microvascular changes in RVO, such as the branch number, branch length (BL), Euclidean length (EL), VT and VD, were calculated in both affected and fellow eyes in the BRVO and CRVO groups and in the control group. The detailed characteristics of microvascular changes in RVO, such as the branch number, branch length (BL), Euclidean length (EL), VT and VD, were calculated in both affected and fellow eyes in the BRVO and CRVO groups and in the control group These parameters were correlated with VA 1 year after initial treatment

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