Aim: To determine whether the low reflective spaces in the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in the optical coherence tomographic (OCT) images are related to the presence of the retinal non-perfused areas in eyes with macular oedema associated with a retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 97 eyes with macular oedema associated with RVO. At the initial visit, eyes with macular oedema were classified into those with and those without low reflective spaces in the RNFL in the OCT images. In the fluorescein angiographic (FA) images, the eyes with more than one disc diameter of retinal non-perfusion in the area of OCT vertical scan were classified as having retinal non-perfused areas.
Results: At the initial visit, low reflective spaces were observed in the RNFL in 19 of the 97 eyes with macular oedema associated with a RVO (19.6%). The percentage of eyes with a retinal non-perfused area in the FA was 84.2% in the eyes with low reflective space group but only 14.1% in those without low reflective spaces. The presence of low reflective spaces in the RNFL was significantly correlated with the presence of non-perfused areas (p<0.0001).
Conclusion: The presence of low reflective spaces in the RNFL in the OCT images can predict the presence of retinal non-perfused areas in eyes with macular oedema associated with a RVO.
Keywords: Imaging; Macula; Retina.
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