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¹Kocatepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Göz Hastalıkları A.D., Afyon, Yrd. Doç. Dr.
²Kocatepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Göz Hastalıkları A.D., Afyon, Doç. Dr.
³Afyonkarahisar Devlet hastanesi, Göz Hastalıkları, Afyon, Uzm. Dr.
⁴Kocatepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Göz Hastalıkları A.D., Afyon, Asist. Dr. Purpose: To evaluate the long-term effects of intravitreal bevacizumab injection in patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective interventional case series, 20 eyes of 20 patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion for 6 months or more were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL). Standardized ophthalmic evaluation, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurement with ETDRS chart, and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) were performed at baseline, at 1 month and 3 months, and at 3-month intervals thereafter. Intravitreal bevacizumab injection was repeated in recurring macular edema. The follow-up period was 18 months.
Results: No ocular toxicity or adverse effects were observed. The mean number of injections per patient was 2.35±0.9. At baseline mean BCVA was logMAR 1.18±0.7 and improved to 0.62±0.5 after 1 month (p=0.002), 0.61±0.5 at 3 months (p=0.001), 0.66±0.5 at 6 months (p=0.003), 0.67±0.5 at 12 months (p=0.003), and 0.57±0.4 (p=0.006) at 18 months. In 13 eyes, VA increased 2 or more lines. FFA showed a complete or partial decrease in macular edema in all eyes after baseline injections and the same favorable response was obtained after re-injections in cases of recurrences.
Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab appears to result in a significant improvement in visual acuity and angiographic findings in patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion during a followup of 18 months. Keywords : Branch retinal vein occlusion, bevacizumab, intravitreal injection