Retinal blood vessels are the only circulatory system that can be observed under non-invasive conditions. By observing the morphological changes of retinal blood vessels, the changes of blood circulation can be indirectly reflected. The occurrence, development and evolution of different diseases can be discovered. With the development of new detection technologies, especially the wide application of fundus photography and optical coherence tomography, a more intuitive and non-invasive quantitative index is provided for retinal vascular measurement. It is important for the diagnosis, guiding treatment and follow-up of related vascular diseases. This article reviews the development of retinal vessel diameter measurement methods and related applications in clinical diagnosis and treatment.