@EN Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is the second most common retinal vascular disease after diabetic retinopathy. BRVO had relatively good visual prognosis. However, there have been mixed results to predict the visual prognosis in a patient
with
BRVO and macular edma. The visual acuity is thought to depend on macular edema and macular status. We there fore sought to determine prognostic indicators of BRVO by observing retrospectively the natural course of the macular edema through the
long-term
follow-up. To do that, we divided 54 eyes with BRVO and macular edema into five groups according to the macular perfusion status on high-quality fluorescein angiography. Type 1 macular edema with BRVO was defined as broken foval capillary ring
with
adjacent capillary nonperfusion within 1 disc diameter of the center of the fovea; Type 2, as intactfoveal capillary ring with good macular perfusion; Type 3, as intact foveal capillary ring with adjacent capillary nonperfusion within 1 disc
diameter of
the center of the fovea; Type 4, as no macular involvement; type 5, as incomplete branch vein occlusion. In 24 (75%) out of 32 eyes with type 1 and 3 ischemic macular edema, the visual acuity improved, regardless of intactness of foveal capillary
ring.
On the contrary, the visual acuity improved in 4 (29%) of 14 eyes with type 2 perfused macular edema.
Spontaneous resolution of type 1 and 3 macular edema suggests that ischemic macular edema may be transient, and is associated with a good visual outcome. Perfused macular edema has a poorer prognosis for visual acuity (J Korean Ophthalmol Soc
53:664~672, 1994).
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