Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.55(3) > 1009909

Ahn, Lee, and Park: Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection for Macular Edema Secondary to Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion: Long-Term Results

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the long-term results of intravitreal bevacizumab injection for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Methods

Fifty-six eyes with macular edema secondary to BRVO were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injection. They were classified into two groups, one group that received three initial intravitreal bevacizumab loadings at monthly in-tervals and a second group that received only one initial injection. In the two groups, additive injection was performed at recurrence. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT) and retinal ischemic change was analyzed for more than 12 months postoperatively.

Results

After 12 months of follow-up, mean BCVA improved and mean CMT reduced significantly in both groups (p < 0.05). However, the range of BCVA improvement and CMT reduction was wider in the three-injection group than in the sin-gle-injection group. Fluorescein angiography revealed posterior retinal ischemic changes; bevacizumab didn’t seem to ag-gravate the ischemic change. No drug-related ocular or systemic side effects were observed in the follow-up period after intravitreal bevacizumab treatment except subconjunctival hemorrhage and a mild increase of intraocular pressure.

Conclusions

In patients with macular edema secondary to BRVO, intravitreal bevacizumab injection was a safe and effective treatment, and a more significant visual improvement and reduction of macular edema was achieved after three initial loadings rather than after a single injection.

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Figure 1.
Measurement of posterior nonperfusion area in a FA photograph of a retina with BRVO. There are three concentric circles centered on the macula. The radius of the innermost circle corresponds to 1DD; the radius of the second circle, to 2DD. The inner field surrounding this second circle is the so-called field 2F in the ETDRS FA grading protocol. The area of posterior capillary nonperfusion in the field 2F is out-lined by the use of the area measurement tool of a digital system. Blocked fluorescence lesions because of retinal hem-orrhages were distinguished from nonperfusion by comparing the FA and fundus images. The area of nonperfusion is ex-pressed relative to the DA.
jkos-55-379f1.tif
Figure 2.
Change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline (BSL) to month 12. There is significant improvement in BCVA as compared with BSL values in both group A and B at every follow-up visit. But the outcomes of group A are superior to group B’s at every visit.
jkos-55-379f2.tif
Figure 3.
Change in central macular thickness (CMT) from baseline (BSL) to month 12. There is significant reduction in CMT as compared with BSL values in both group A and B at every follow-up visit. But the outcomes of group A are superior to group B’s at every visit except month 1 and 5.
jkos-55-379f3.tif
Figure 4.
The percentages of patients in each treatment group who showed an increase, decrease or no change from 0 in retinal nonperfusion between baseline and the month 12 end point.
jkos-55-379f4.tif
Table 1.
Demographics of patients
  Group A (n = 23) Group B (n = 33) p-value
Age (years) 60.67 ± 10.23 (31-85) 62.27 ± 9.24 (36-87) >0.05
Sex (male/female) 11/12 15/18 >0.05
Mean follow-up period (months) 15.3 ± 2.1 14.7 ± 1.7 >0.05
BCVA (log MAR) 0.65 ± 0.36 0.67 ± 0.38 >0.05
Central macular thickness (μm) 546.0 ± 197.1 525.4 ± 101.0 >0.05
Duration from onset (days) 29.1 (1-117) 33.2 (7-108) >0.05

Values are presented as mean ± SD.

BCVA = best corrected visual acuity.

Table 2.
Total number of injection
  Group A (n = 23) Group B (n = 33) p-value
Mean total number of injection Range 3.65 ± 0.933-6 3.15 ± 0.93 2-5 >0.05 -
Range 3-6 2-5 -

Values are presented as mean ± SD.

Table 3.
Retinal nonperfusion area at baseline
  Group A (n = 23) Group B (n = 33) p-value
N (gradable) 22 (96%) 31 (94%) -
Mean area (Das) 0.83 ± 1.45 0.77 ± 1.21 >0.05
Range 0-5.93 0-4.16 -

Values are presented as mean ± SD.

DA = disc areas.

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