Microvascular and functional changes according to the fundus location of the affected arteriovenous crossing in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural and functional changes occurring in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) according to the distance of the affected arteriovenous (AV) crossing to the centers of the fovea and optic disc by optic coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: Forty-five patients with unilateral BRVO and 45 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in this retrospective observational study. Images of the macula (3 mm × 3 mm) and affected AV crossing sites were obtained by OCTA. The fovea-AV crossing distance (FAVD), optic disc-AV crossing distance (DAVD), and optic disc-fovea distance (DFD) were measured. Results: The FAVD/DFD ratio was positively correlated with the vessel density in the superficial and deep affected hemifields (r = 0.430, P 0.05). Conclusion: The affected AV crossing site that was further away from the fovea had better visual acuity and quantitative microvascular parameters in the affected hemifields. However, this correlation was not observed for the distance between the affected AV crossing site and the optic disc.

Keywords

• arteriovenous crossing
• branch retinal vein occlusion
• optical coherence tomography angiography
• visual function