Ocular blood flow and retinal oxygen saturation measurements in central retinal artery occlusion

Objectives To provide numerical quantitative measurements of blood flow velocity in the optic nerve head (ONH) and choroid and retinal vascular oxygen saturation in patients with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). Methods Twelve consecutive patients (12 eyes) underwent laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) and retinal oximetry measurements at presentation. The normal fellow eyes were evaluated and used as controls. Results In eyes with CRAO, the ONH mean blur rate (MBR)‐vessel (25 ± 15 AU), representing blood flow velocity in the large vessels originating from the central retinal artery, ONH MBR‐tissue (9 ± 4 AU) and choroidal MBR (7 ± 3 AU), representing blood flow velocity in the short posterior ciliary arteries, were significantly reduced compared with fellow eyes (48 ± 10 AU; 15 ± 4 AU; 9 ± 3 AU, respectively) ( p = 0.005; p = 0.009; p = 0.034, respectively). The eyes with CRAO had significantly reduced oxygen saturation in retinal arterioles (85 ± 6%) and arteriovenous oxygen saturation difference (35 ± 16%) compared with fellow eyes (105 ± 18%; 49 ± 14%, respectively) ( p = 0.022; p = 0.043, respectively). Conclusions LSFG blood flow and retinal oximetry measurements provide quantitative measurements of the ocular arterial circulation and retinal oxygen metabolism alterations in patients with CRAO.