Measurement of Blood Retina Barrier in Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO)

ABSTRACT

Vitreous fluorophotometry was used to measure blood retinal barrier permeability to fluorescein in 15 patients with branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO). Mean posterior vitreous fluorescein concentration(3mm) was 20.0 +/- 11.3(ng/ml) in affected eyes, and 2.99 +/- 1.22(ng/ml) in unaffected eyes. There was a statistically significant difference between the affected eye and unaffected eye(p<0.05). Also there was a correlation between the hemorrhage area and the posterior vitreous fluorescein concentration(r2=0.819). This study revealed that the permeability of blood retinal barrier was increased in BRVO as compared to the contralateral eye, and the higher permeability values were associated with the extent of area involved.