Arterial oxygen saturation in neovascularizations in proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Purpose: Retinal neovascularizations in proliferative diabetic retinopathy have been proposed to develop from larger retinal venules. However, angiographic evidence suggests that the new vessels may originate from both arterioles and venules, and the vitreous oxygen tension near retinal neovascularizations is similar to that of retinal arterioles. An assessment of the oxygen saturation in neovascularizations may help characterizing the vascular origin of these vessels in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Methods: Dual wavelength oximetry was used to study the oxygen saturation in arterioles, venules, and retinal neovascularizations in 40 eyes from 40 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Results: The oxygen saturation was significantly lower in retinal venules than in arterioles and neovascularizations (P
Source: RETINA - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Original Study Source Type: research