Colour Doppler assessment of blood flow in eyes with central retinal vein occlusion

To assess the blood flow changes in eyes with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and compare these values with values of fellow eyes and eyes of normal subjects.

25 eyes of 25 consecutive newly diagnosed patients with CRVO comprised the study group. Their fellow eyes and those of 25 healthy subjects were the control group. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination. Eyes with CRVO were classified into two groups as non-ischaemic and ischaemic by fundus fluorescein angiography. Colour Doppler imaging was performed with a Toshiba Sonolayer SSH-140A and 7.5-MHz linear array probe. Maximum systolic velocity (V(max)), end-diastolic velocity (V(min)) and resistive index (R(i)) values were noted for each of the central retinal artery (CRA), central retinal vein (CRV) and ophthalmic artery (OA). These parameters were compared with those of the fellow eyes and both eyes of the control group.

Mean ages were 63.55 and 61.45 years in the CRVO and control groups, respectively. Age and sex distributions were statistically identical in both groups. When we compared the eyes with CRVO to the control group, no statistically significant difference existed between the two groups with regard to the V(min) and R(i )values of the CRA and CRV. However, V(max ) values of the CRA and CRV were significantly lower in CRVO eyes when compared to the control group. The CRVO group and control group had similar V(max), V(min ) and R(i) values for the OA. Only the V(max) was significantly lower in the CRV in eyes with CRVO when compared to the unaffected fellow eyes. No statistically significant difference could be detected between any of the parameters of CRA, CRV and OA of the ischaemic and non-ischaemic CRVO groups.

More data on broader series need to be obtained in order to decide on the practical use of colour Doppler imaging in the differentiation of ischaemic eyes from non-ischaemic eyes in CRVO.