Optic disc microvascularity in patients with intravitreal dexamethasone implantation for branch retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE: To compare changes in optic disc microvascular parameters before and after treatment of patients who received IVD for macular edema secondary to BRVO, using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A).

METHODS

Eighteen BRVO patients who received only IVD treatment and 20 healthy controls were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with moderate or severe IOP spikes (>6mmHg) after implantation were excluded from the study. Whole, peripapillary, inside disc capillary density and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) were recorded at the 2nd and 6th months after implantation.

RESULTS

Whole, peripapillary and inside disc capillary densities were significantly lower in BRVO patients before implantation than in the control group (P<0.001 for all comparisons). Despite a mild mean IOP increase after IVD, no significant change was observed in whole, peripapillary and inside disc capillary vascular densities in the 2nd and 6th months (P>0.05 for all comparisons). The mean RNFLT of BRVO patients before IVD was lower than the control group, but this difference was not statistically significant (110.1±12.3μm and 115.6±10.7μm, P=0.131). The mean RNFLT at the 2nd and 6th months did not show a statistically significant difference after implantation (P=0.239, P=0.459).

CONCLUSIONS

OCT-A shows the decrease in whole, peripapillary and inside disc microvascular parameters in BRVO patients compared to healthy subjects. No significant change in optic nerve head microvascular parameters was observed in patients without moderate or severe IOP spikes after treatment with IVD.