Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate contrast sensitivity in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) following intravitreal ranibizumab injection (IVR), and to investigate the relationship between contrast sensitivity and retinal microstructure.
Methods :
We included 27 eyes of 27 patients with macular edema caused by BRVO who were followed up for 6 months after treatment. All patients were treatment naïve with no history of treatment with intravitreal anti-VEGF injection, intraocular corticosteroids, retinal photocoagulation, or pars plana vitrectomy. We measured best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), letter contrast sensitivity (LC), and 10% low contrast visual acuity (LCVA). All tests were performed before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 months after treatment. Based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images, we assessed central retinal thickness (CRT), presence of serous retinal detachment (SRD), and status of the external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ).
Results :
IVR treatment significantly improved contrast sensitivity (LC: P < 0.0001, LCVA: P = 0.0001) as well as BCVA (P < 0.0005) and CRT (P < 0.0001). LC and LCVA at 6 months after treatment were significantly correlated with SRD before treatment.
At 6 months after treatment, LC showed a significant correlation with absence of the ELM and EZ, while LCVA was significantly correlated with CRT. In patients with good baseline BCVA, LC and LCVA showed significant improvements (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) by IVR although their BCVA did not change. In patients with poor improvement in BCVA, LC and LCVA also showed significant improvements (P = 0.001, P < 0.005).
Conclusions :
IVR treatment for BRVO improved not only BCVA but also contrast sensitivity. Even in patients without any improvement in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity improved by IVR.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.