Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.52(9) > 1008876

Lee, Kim, Yu, and Kwak: Two-Year Results of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection in Retinal Vein Occlusion

Abstract

Purpose

The authors evaluated the 2-year clinical results of intravitreal bevacizumab injection in retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Methods

Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients treated with an intravitreal bevacizumab injection of 1.25 mg (0.05 ml) for RVO (branch RVO: 22 eyes, central RVO: 10 eyes), repeated 3 times at a 6-week interval and were available for a follow-up period of at least 2 years were retrospectively reviewed. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before treatment and 6, 12, and 24 months after 3 serial injections, was recorded. The optical coherence tomography (OCT) results were analyzed to identify prognostic factors for recurrent macular edema that needed reinjection.

Results

Two years after the treatment, mean BCVA was significantly improved (p = 0.000). Out of 32 eyes, 16 (branch RVO: 8 eyes; central RVO: 8 eyes) needed reinjection because of recurrent macular edema. In central RVO, a significantly high reinjection rate was shown in serous retinal detachment (SRD) compared with cystoid macular edema (CME) as identified in OCT findings (p = 0.049). Additionally, in branch RVO, a high reinjection rate was shown in SRD, although statistically not significant (p = 0.375).

Conclusions

In patients with RVO, a significant visual improvement was maintained for at least 2 years after intravitreal bevacizumab injection. Based on OCT results, SRD showed a high reinjection rate compared with CME in CRVO.

References

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Figure 1.
Classification of macular edema based on optical coherence tomography in retinal vein occlusion. (A) Cystoid macular edema. Multiple and various size of ovoid area of low reflecitivity represent intraretinal cystoids-like cavities. (B) Serous retinal detachment. There was subretinal fluid accumulation with detached retina.
jkos-52-1039f1.tif
Figure 2.
Change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, log MAR) after intravitreal bevacizumab injection in retinal vein occlusion (All = BRVO+CRVO), branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). It shows general improvement of visual acuity after 6, 12, 24 month of injection. In RVO, the mean baseline BCVA was 0.64 ± 0.32 and the final BCVA was 0.32 ± 0.30, a difference that was statistically significant (p < 0.05). It showed similar results in BRVO and CRVO.
jkos-52-1039f2.tif
Figure 3.
Reinjection rate and number accoring to the OCT patterns of macular edema. (A) Retinal vein occlusion (BRVO+CRVO). In cystoid macular edema (CME), 33.0% of eyes developed recurrent macular edema that needed reinjection. In serous retinal detachment (SRD), 64.7% of eyes took reinjection. Mean number of reinjection was 0.87 ± 1.60 in cystoid macular edema, 1.76 ± 2.17 in serous retinal detachment. (B) Branch retinal vein occlusion. The reinjection rate was 27.3% in CME and 45.5% in SRD. Mean number of reinjection was 0.73 ± 1.56 in CME, 1.00 ± 1.55 in SRD. (C) Central retinal vein occlusion. Two eyes of 4 were needed reinjection in CME and all 6 eyes were needed reinjection in SRD type of CRVO patients. Mean reinjection number was also higher in SRD (3.17 ± 2.56) than CME (1.25 ± 1.90).
jkos-52-1039f3.tif
Figure 4.
Correlation analysis of the duration of symptom and initial best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with number of reinjection. (A) In retinal vein occlusion patients (BRVO + CRVO), duration that onset of symptom to first treatment showed week correlation with number of reinjection (correlation coefficiency = 0.323, p-value = 0.071). Initial BCVA had no relation to number of reinjection (correlation coefficiency = 0.108, p-value = 0.684). (B) In branch retinal vein occlusion, duration of symptom or initinial BCVA were no correlation with number of reinjection. (C) In central retinal vein occlusion, duration of symptom was stastically significant correlation with number of reinjection. However, Initial BCVA was little correlation with number of reinjection.
jkos-52-1039f4.tif
Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of retinal vein occlusion patients
Variable BRVO* (n = 22) CRVO (n = 10) All (n = 32)
Age (mean ± SD§, yr) 60.86 ± 7.66 58.40 ± 11.70 60.09 ± 8.99
Sex (M:F) 7:15 4:6 11:21
Follow-up time (mean ± SD, mon) 24.05 ± 2.57 22.60 ± 1.65 23.6 ± 2.4
Preoperative BCVA (mean ± SD, log MAR) 0.63 ± 0.26 0.67 ± 0.50 0.64 ± 0.32
Duration of symptom (mean ± SD, wk) 4.68 ± 4.05 4.55 ± 5.79 4.64 ± 4.56

* BRVO = branch retinal vein occlusion

CRVO = central retinal vein occlusion

All = retinal vein occlusion (BRVO + CRVO)

§ SD = standard deviation.

Table 2.
Reinjection rate and mean number of reinjection in retinal vein occlusion, branch retinal vein occlusion, and central retinal vein occlusion
Reinjection rate Mean number of reinjection (mean ± SD)
All* 50% (16/32 eyes) 1.34 ± 1.94
 BRVO 36% (8/22 eyes) 0.86 ± 1.52
 CRVO 80% (8/10 eyes) 2.40 ± 2.41
p-value 0.022 0.036

* All = retinal vein occlusion (BRVO+CRVO)

BRVO = branch retinal vein occlusion

CRVO = central retinal vein occlusion.

Table 3.
Baseline Characteristics and visual acuity improvement of eyes with different OCT types
Variable CME* SRD p-value
No. of eyes (%) 15 (47%) 17 (53%)
BRVO:CRVO§ 11:4 11:6 0.599
Age (mean ± SD, yr) 59.40 ± 7.96 60.71 ± 10.01 0.689
   BRVO 59.18 ± 7.56 62.54 ± 7.72 0.314
   CRVO 60.00 ± 10.23 57.33 ± 13.43 0.746
Follow-up time (mean ± SD, mon) 24.27 ± 2.84 23.00 ± 1.80 0.138
   BRVO 24.72 ± 3.00 23.36 ± 1.96 0.222
   CRVO 23.00 ± 2.16 22.33 ± 1.36 0.562
Duration of symptom (mean ± SD, wk) 4.67 ± 3.92 4.61 ± 5.19 0.976
   BRVO 5.55 ± 4.20 3.81 ± 3.89 0.329
   CRVO 2.25 ± 1.50 6.08 ± 7.20 0.333
Preoperative BCVA (mean ± SD, log MAR) 0.71 ± 0.33 0.59 ± 0.31 0.273
   BRVO 0.71 ± 0.26 0.56 ± 0.23 0.155
   CRVO 0.72 ± 0.52 0.65 ± 0.46 0.817
Improvement of BCVA (mean ± SD, log MAR) 0.32 ± 0.27 0.32 ± 0.29 0.986
   BRVO 0.34 ± 0.28 0.31 ± 0.25 0.762
   CRVO 0.28 ± 0.27 0.34 ± 0.36 0.666

* CME = cystoids macular edema

SRD = serous retinal detachment

BRVO = branch retinal vein occlusion

§ CRVO = central retinal vein occlusin

BCVA = best corrected visual acuity

Improvement of BCVA = Improvement of BCVA between preinjection and 24 month after bevacizumab injection.

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