Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate the changes in treatment trends and evaluate prognosis according to that among patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) for 10 years.
Methods :
A retrospective clinical charts review of patients diagnosed with BRVO in Inha University Hospital was performed from January 2006 to December 2017. The patients were divided into two groups based on the period when the rate of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin®) treatment was over half of patients.
Results :
A total of 186 eyes from 186 patients with BRVO were divided into two groups, as of 2010, when the use of intravitreal bevacizumab treatment exceeded 50% of patients. Before 2010, 57 patients were included in Group A and 129 patients were included in Group B since 2010. The sex ratio (male/female) was 25/32 in Group A and 48/81 in Group B (p=0.418). The mean age of onset of BRVO was 59.03±13.67 years in Group A and 61.31±11.34 years in Group B (p=0.239). The most common underlying disease was hypertension (Group A: 63.15%, Group B: 58.13%; p=0.627). There was no statistical difference in the initial logMAR visual acuity between the two groups (Group A:0.52±0.39, Group B: 0.48±0.39; p=0.542). In Group A, 33.33% of patients received intravitreal bevacizumab treatment, and 21.05% of patients received laser treatment (Grid/Focal laser). In Group B, 72.09% of patients received intravitreal Bevacizumab treatment, and 8.52% of patients received laser treatment. The mean follow-up period of Group A and B was 24.54±29.16 months and 15.09±15.75 months, respectively (p=0.05). The mean length of period until visual acuity was stabilized was 10.14±17.51 months in Group A and 7.80±10.54 months in Group B, but there were no statistical differences between two groups (p=0.26). The difference between final logMAR visual acuity and initial logMAR visual acuity was -0.08±0.36 in Group A and -0.16±0.32 in Group B, but there were no statistical differences between two groups (p=0.164).
Conclusions :
Since 2010, the main modality of treatment for macular edema secondary to BRVO has been changed from laser into intravitreal anti-VEGF in our hospital. But there was no statistical difference in prognosis of final visual acuity and the length of period until visual acuity was stabilized in spite of change of treatment trends.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.