Abstract
Purpose :
To describe cases of branch retinal vein occlusion occurring after brachytherapy for choroidal malignant melanoma.
Methods :
Retrospective chart review was performed for patients with history choroidal malignant melanoma treated with Iodine-125 plaque brachytherapy who subsequently developed retinal vein occlusion. Data was collected regarding clinical course, management, and outcome.
Results :
Two patients were discovered to have developed subsequent branch retinal vein occlusion with macular edema 2-3 years after plaque brachytherapy surgery. Both patients had signs of radiation retinopathy prior to vein occlusion diagnosis. Macular edema responded better to intravitreal steroid injections than to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections. Visual acuity worsened in both patients despite treatment.
Conclusions :
Retinal vein occlusion is a complication that can occur after plaque brachytherapy and is a diagnosis that must be differentiated from radiation retinopathy. Macular edema in these cases tends to respond to intravitreal injection of steroid, although visual prognosis is poor.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.