Spontaneous Retinal Artery Pulses (SPARs) as a Prognostic Determinant of Central Retinal Vein Occlusions (CRVO) in Patients With or Without Intravitreal Aflibercept Injections

Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is the second most common retinal vascular disease after diabetic retinopathy. It induces circulatory slowdown and blood stasis, which can appear as retinal hemorrhages. CRVO has been classically separated into two clinical forms: ischemic CVRO (possibly associated with cotton wool spots) and non-ischemic CRVO, the former being considered the most serious due to neovascular complications. More recently, a new classification has been suggested by Pierru et al. distinguishing two types of CRVO: type A characterized by low acute blood flow and type B with a slower onset. Type A is particularly associated with younger age, the presence of acute paracentral middle maculopathy, concomitant cilioretinal artery occlusion, and/or pulsatile arterial filling. Type B is more likely to occur in elderly patients, usually with high blood pressure, and multiple hemorrhages are frequently found on fundus examination.

A retrospective study had shown a slight difference in favor of pulsatile CRVO in terms of the number of intravitreal anti-angiogenic injections required to treat macular edema and visual acuity changes. However, no statistically significant difference was observed.

The objective of this study is to prospectively investigate whether spontaneous retinal artery pulses (SPARs) in patients with type A or B CRVO can be considered as a prognostic factor for the evolution of CRVO.