J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2012 Feb;53(2):283-290.

Long-Term Effects of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection for Macular Edema Secondary to Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

• Song IJ
• Kim HW
• Yun IH

Abstract

PURPOSE
To report the long term effects of intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVAI) for the treatment of macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).
METHODS
In this retrospective study, 47 consecutive patients (47 eyes) whose visual acuity under 20/40 and macular thickness over 250 microm from BRVO received IVAI (1.25 mg). All patients were observed over 12 months. The patients were classified into three groups: one, resolved macular edema after first injection, second, persistant, third, recurrant. At 12 months after injection, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) were compared with one another.
RESULTS
Comparing with baseline BCVA (0.96 +/- 0.32, 1.13 +/- 0.42, 0.85 +/- 0.24 log MAR unit), the mean at 12 months was significantly increased (0.50 +/- 0.30, 0.76 +/- 0.51, 0.55 +/- 0.35) in each group. The mean CMT at baseline was 510.84 (+/- 171.07), 538.5 (+/- 216.87), 522.6 (+/- 101.82) microm decreased to 211.58 (+/- 42.74), 232 (+/- 132.68), 270.6 (+/- 85.27).
CONCLUSIONS
IVAI was a result of significant decrease of CMT with improvement of BCVA in patients with BRVO after a follow-up of 12 months.

Keyword

Bevacizumab; Branch retinal vein occlusion; Intravitreal injection; Macular edema

MeSH Terms

Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Intravitreal Injections
Macular Edema
Retinal Vein
Retinal Vein Occlusion
Retinaldehyde
Retrospective Studies
Visual Acuity
Bevacizumab
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
Retinaldehyde

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 A change of the visual acuity after bevacizumab injection. Mean visual acuity prior to injection was 0.97 (± 0.33) log MAR unit. It was increased to 0.71 (± 0.35), 0.67 (± 0.38), 0.62 (± 0.40), 0.58 (± 0.37), 0.56 (± 0.40) (1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months after bevacizumab injection. All visual acuities at each follow-up period were significantly increased compared with baseline (p < 0.01).

• 

  Figure 2 A change in central macular thickness after bevacizumab injection. Mean central macular thickness prior to injection was 528.11 µm (± 163.45). It was decreased to 283.27 µm (± 68.47), 258.18 µm (± 65.76), 246.71 µm (± 86.75), 241.95 µm (± 47.99) and 242.38 µm (± 86.05) (1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months after bevacizmab injection). All mean central macular thicknesses at each follow-up period were significantly decreased being compared with baseline (p < 0.001).

• 

  Figure 3 Changes of the visual acuity after bevacizumab injection. Mean visual acuities prior to injection were 0.96 (± 0.32), 1.13 (± 0.42), 0.85 (± 0.24) log MAR unit in group A, group B, group C. Visual acuities were increased to 0.50 (± 0.38), 0.76 (± 0.51), 0.55 (± 0.35) at 12 months after bevacizumab injection. All visual acuities at each follow-up period were significantly increased being compared with baseline (p < 0.01).

• 

  Figure 4 Changes in central macular thickness after bevacizumab injection in three groups. Mean central macular thicknesses prior to injection were 510.84 (± 171.07), 538.50 (± 216.87), 552.60 (± 101.82) µm at group A, group B, group C. They decreased 211.17 (± 24.95) µm, 276.4 (± 104.24) µm, 240.17 (± 33.86) µm at 12 months after first bevacizumab injection. They were significantly decreased being compared with baseline (p < 0.001).

• 

  Figure 5 Distribution of visual acuity in each group. The percent of eyes over 20/40 (0.3 log MAR unit) is significantly lower at group B than others (p < 0.05).

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