Abstract

SO.21.06

Intravitreal application of Bevacizumab compared with triamcinolone acetonide for macular edema in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion

Eva Bühner, Matus Rehak, Peter Wiedemann
Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig

Objective
We evaluated changes of the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after treatment with intravitreal injections of bevacizumab compared with triamcinolone acetonide, in patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) according to the time period between BRVO and injection.
Methods
In the retrospective interventional study, 48 patients with non ischemic BRVO were treated with bevacizumab (groupA) or triamcinolone (group B). Patients were divided into the 2 subgroups: Subgroup 1: early treatment (≤ 3 Months from the onset of the disease); subgroup 2: late treatment (>3 Months from the onset).
Bevacizumab was injected in 15 eyes as early (group A1) and in 10 eyes as late (A2) treatment. Trimcinolone was injected in 10 eyes in early group (B1) and in 13 eyes as late treatment (B2). Changes in logMAR BCVA were evaluated before and at 1 and 3 months after treatment.
Results
BCVA (logMAR) improved 3 months after treatment from 0.77 ± 0.23 to 0.45 ± 0.24 in the group A1 and from 0.65 ± 0.26 to 0.5 ± 0.26 in the group A2. In patients treated with triamcinolone BCVA improved from 0.65 ± 0.25 to 0.55 ± 0.27 in group B1 and from 0.61 ± 0.26 to 0.42 ± 0.25 in B2. BCVA improved significantly in all treated groups. The improvement of BCVA in patients with early treatment (A1 compared with B1) was significantly higher in the group treated with bevacizumab (A1; P < 0.05). In the late treatment (A2 vs B2), patients treated with triamcinolone (B2) reached better BCVA, but the difference to bevacizumab group (A2) was not statistically significant.
Conclusions
BCVA increased in the acute stage of BRVO (≤ 3 months from the onset) after treatment with bevacizumab injection significantly more than after triamcinolone. In patients with late treatment (>3 months from the onset) better BCVA was observed in patients treated with triamcinolone, but the difference to bevacizumab was not significant. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm this observation.

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