Peripapillary Microvasculature of the Retina and Choriocapillaris in Uninvolved Fellow Eyes of Unilateral Retinal Vein Occlusion Patients.

Purpose To investigate peripapillary microvascularity of the retina and choriocapillaris in uninvolved fellow eyes of patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (RVO) compared with that of healthy controls. Methods Peripapillary optical coherence tomography angiography bilateral eye scans of 46 unilateral RVO patients and 46 age-matched control eyes were reviewed. Microvascular density in radial peripapillary capillary plexus (RPCP), superficial capillary plexus (SCP), and deep capillary plexus (DCP) and signal void parameters in choriocapillaris were assessed. Data were statistically adjusted for hypertension. Results Microvascular densities in the RPCP, and SCP were lower in the fellow eyes of patients with RVO than in the controls (RPCP, p = 0.021; SCP, p = 0.040). There were fewer choriocapillaris signal voids in the fellow eyes than in the control (p = 0.043). In patients with a duration of RVO onset >12 months (n= 27), all signal void parameters were lower in the fellow eyes than in the control eyes (size, p=0.03; number, p=0.046; proportion of the total area, p=0.029). Conclusion Uninvolved fellow eyes of patients with unilateral RVO showed microvascular impairment in the retina and choriocapillaris, even after adjusting for age and hypertension, suggesting that an unknown systemic factor might affect both the affected and unaffected eyes.