2M.D. Asistant, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul/TURKEY
3M.D. Associate Professor, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul/TURKEY
4M.D. Professor, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul/TURKEY Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB) on an as-needed treatment regimen for macular edema (ME) secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).
Materials and Methods: The data of 16 patients who were treated on an as-needed treatment regimen following initial single dose of IVB (1.25 mg/0.05 ml) were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were evaluated in regards of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and injection numbers at baseline, week 1, month 1, month 3, and month 6.
Results: The mean age was 63.3±14.5 years. The mean pretreatment BCVA, and the mean BVCA at week 1, and at month 1, 3, and 6 were 1.0±0.4 LogMAR, 0.7±0.8 LogMAR (p=0.03), 0.5±0.4 LogMAR (p=0.001), 0.7±0.6 LogMAR (p=0.02), and 0.8±0.7 LogMAR (p=0.15), respectively. The mean pretreatment CMT was 577±129 microns and decreased to 302±98 microns (p=0.001) at week 1, 300±76 microns at month 1 (p=0.002), 324±196 microns (p=0.004) at month 3, and 414±236 microns at month 6 (p=0.01). The mean number of injections at month 6 was 1.8±1.1. No systemic or local complications related to injection and drug was observed.
Conclusions: Intravitreal bevacizumab is an effective and safe treatment to achieve functional and anatomical success in macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion in the short term. However, the most prominent efficacy of the as needed treatment regimen was obtained at month 1 and gradually decreased towards month 6.
Keywords : Central retinal vein occlusion, intravitreal bevacizumab