Evaluation of optical coherence tomography angiography role in differentiating ischemic and non-ischemic central retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the role of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in differentiating ischemic and non-ischemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

METHODS

This prospective observational study included 72 eyes with CRVO (36 ischemic, 36 non-ischemic), all presenting with macular edema. Participants underwent clinical evaluation, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), and OCTA imaging. Key parameters analyzed included vessel density (VD) in the superficial and deep capillary plexuses (SCP and DCP), central retinal thickness (CRT), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, perimeter (PERIM), and flow density within 300 μm of the FAZ (FD-300).

RESULTS

Ischemic CRVO eyes showed significantly lower superficial VD (45.13 ± 1.98 vs. 46.45 ± 3.42; p = 0.048), thinner CRT (390.53 ± 193.66 vs. 538.14 ± 139.63; p = 0.001), larger FAZ area (0.442 ± 0.239 vs. 0.245 ± 0.129; p = 0.001), and higher PERIM (2.82 ± 0.72 vs. 1.95 ± 0.56; p = 0.001) compared to non-ischemic eyes. FAZ (AUC = 0.769; sensitivity = 91.7%, specificity = 58.3%) and PERIM (AUC = 0.819; sensitivity = 88.9%, specificity = 66.7%) demonstrated strong diagnostic performance. Regression analysis identified age, intraocular pressure (IOP), CRT, FAZ, PERIM, and FD-300 as significant predictors of ischemia.

CONCLUSIONS

OCTA is a valuable, noninvasive tool for differentiating ischemic from non-ischemic CRVO based on quantitative microvascular parameters, with FAZ area and PERIM offering particularly strong diagnostic utility.