Assessment of flow dynamics in retinal and choroidal microcirculation

Abstract

Alterations in ocular blood flow have been implicated in mechanisms that lead to vision loss in patients with various ocular disorders such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Assessment of retinal and choroidal blood flow is also a window to evaluate systemic diseases that affect microvasculature. Quantification and qualification of the blood flow in the retina and choroid help us understand pathophysiology, stratify disease risk, and monitor disease progression in these disorders. Multiple methods are used by researchers for assessment of blood flow, but a gold standard is lacking. We review commonly used methods, both invasive and noninvasive, for evaluation of blood flow, including intravital microscopy, laser Doppler velocimetry, laser Doppler flowmetry, laser interferometry, confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmetry, laser speckle flowgraphy, Doppler optical coherence tomography, blue-field entoptic simulation, retinal vessel caliber assessment, optical coherence tomography angiography, retinal function imaging, color Doppler imaging, and scanning laser ophthalmoscope angiogram. As technology evolves, better evaluation of blood flow in various ocular and systemic diseases will likely bring new perspectives into clinical practice and translate to better diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration; choroidal blood flow; diabetic retinopathy; glaucoma; optic nerve head blood flow; retinal blood flow.