Capillary blood flow velocity in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membranes

Abstract

Purpose: Eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membranes (ERM) often have tortuous vessels and macular edema, suggesting that eyes with ERM may have a disturbance of the macular microcirculation. The authors studied perifoveal microcirculation in eyes with ERM by means of scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) fluorescein angiography.

Methods: Mean capillary blood flow velocity (CFV) was measured by SLO fluorescein angiography in 19 eyes with ERM before and 6 months after vitreous surgery and in 19 healthy control eyes.

Results: Mean CFV was significantly reduced in the eyes with ERM compared with the healthy control eyes (2.98 +/- 0.32 mm/sec versus 3.34 +/- 0.12 mm/sec, P < 0.05), and postoperative mean CFV was significantly increased compared with preoperative mean CFV (3.14 +/- 0.32 mm/sec versus 2.98 +/- 0.32 mm/sec, P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Eyes with ERM show abnormal hemodynamics in the perifoveal capillaries. Surgical treatment of eyes with ERM results in improvement of the abnormal blood flow.