Macular microcirculation before and after vitrectomy for macular edema with branch retinal vein occlusion

Abstract

The changes of perifoveal capillary blood flow velocity (BFV), visual acuity, and retinal thickness after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) have been unclear in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and macular edema. In a prospective study, PPV was performed on six eyes of six consecutive BRVO patients with macular edema (two women and four men; mean age: 66.3 +/- 5.0 years). Patients were examined preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. BFV was measured by fluorescein angiography using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope and the tracing method. Macular thickness was examined by optical coherence tomography. Visual acuity was measured preoperatively and postoperatively, and data were converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). In all six treated eyes, the macular thickness decreased significantly compared with before PPV (464 +/- 98 microm versus 224 +/- 55 microm, P = 0.0082), mean BFV increased significantly compared with before PPV (1.14 +/- 0.14 mm/sec versus 1.46 +/- 0.21 mm/sec, P = 0.0013), and mean logMAR decreased significantly compared with before PPV (0.57 +/- 0.34 versus 0.17 +/- 0.21, P = 0.0036). PPV may improve perifoveal microcirculation and the visual prognosis in BRVO patients with macular edema.