Objective: To investigate the response of retinal vessel diameters to photocoa gulation treatment and their role for the success of laser treatment in patients with retinal vein occlusion. Methods: The study included 14 patients with branc h vein occlusion or macular vein occlusion. The ophthalmologic examination inclu ded best-corrected visual acuity, biomicroscopy, fundus photography, and fluore scein angiography. Retinal vessel diameters were quantified before and after las er photocoagulation using a retinal vessel analyzer. Main Outcome Measure: Retin al vessel diameters. Results: In cases manifesting macular vein occlusions, no s ignificant change of the vessel diameter in any vessel was observed during the f ollow-up period. In the group with branch vein occlusion, all vessels tended to constrict after the laser photocoagulation. The effect of laser treatment on re tinal vessel diameters was significant for superotemporal (P=0.045, analysis of variance ANOVA) and inferotemporal branch veins (P=0.03, ANOVA). Vasoconstrict ion was more pronounced in the occluded branch veins (P=.009, ANOVA) compared wi th the nonaffected veins (P=.12; ANOVA). The change of visual acuity after 3 mon ths was correlated with the change of vessel diameter 3 months after laser treat ment for occluded venular branches (r=0.78, P=.02, linear regression). There was no correlation between the number of laser burns and the change of vessel diame ters in the affected veins in this period (r=0.12, P=.75, linear regression). Co nclusions: Our results show that retinal photocoagulation in patients with branc h vein occlusion has a vasoconstrictive effect on occluded veins. The correlatio n between the change in visual acuity and the change in vessel diameter indicate s that branch vein constriction after photocoagulation may be an early indicator of the success of laser treatment.
展开▼
