Photocoagulation increases retinal blood flow in CRVO, study shows

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Laser photocoagulation increases retinal blood flow in eyes with central retinal vein occlusion, although not to normal levels, a study here showed. Photocoagulation was also found to have no effect on blood flow in the macular area, the study authors said.

Ozcan Ocakoglu, MD, and colleagues here measured retinal blood flow in 12 eyes with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), 12 fellow eyes and 12 eyes of age-matched healthy subjects using a Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (Heidelberg Engineering). Eyes were re-examined 1 month after photocoagulation.

Mean retinal blood flow values (volume, flow and velocity) obtained from the upper temporal retina increased significantly after treatment in eyes with CRVO. Mean blood flow values in the macula remained unaffected by photocoagulation.

Retinal blood flow values from the upper temporal retina in healthy controls were significantly higher than the values in the eyes with CRVO both before and after photocoagulation. No significant difference was found between the groups in retinal blood flow values in the macula.

Mean retinal blood flow values were significantly higher in the CRVO patients’ fellow eyes than in the CRVO eyes before photocoagulation. However, values in the fellow eyes were still lower than in the healthy age-matched controls. Macular blood flow did not differ between the eyes with CRVO and fellow eyes.

The study is published in the October issue of Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica.