Comparison of Short-term Effects of Intravitreal Injection of Three Modalities on Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report the short-term effects of intravitreal bevacizumab alone, low-dose bevacizumab combined with low-dose triamcinolone injection, and intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®, Allergan, Irvine, CA, USA) injection in patients with macular edema following central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: The medical records of 70 patients (70 eyes) with macular edema secondary to CRVO were reviewed retrospectively. Of these, 25 eyes (IVB group) were injected with intravitreal bevacizumab, 23 eyes (intravitreal low-dose bevacizumab and triamcinolone injection [IVB+IVTA] group) were injected with low-dose bevacizumab (0.625 mg/0.025 mL) combined with low-dose triamcinolone (1 mg/0.025 mL), and 20 eyes (intravitreal dexamethasone implant [IVD] group) were injected with an intravitreal dexamethasone implant. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and intraocular pressure (IOP) of treated eyes were measured before injection and at 1 month and 3 months after injection. RESULTS: Groups were similar in age and gender distribution. At 1 month, the CMT of all groups was significantly lower, and the BCVA of all groups had increased significantly in patients with CRVO; there were no significant differences among the three groups (p = 0.246, p = 0.974). At 3 months, the CMT and BCVA had improved significantly only in the IVD and IVB+IVTA groups; the short-term effect was comparable to the IVD group. IOP showed no significant change at 3 months after injection for all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Considering various clinical variables in the treatment of macular edema associated with CRVO, intravitreal injection of bevacizumab, low-dose bevacizumab combined with triamcinolone, and dexamethasone implants may be used selectively.