Visual acuity following intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema associated with retinal vein occlusion

Purpose  

To study prognostic factors for visual acuity (VA) after intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB) for macular edema (ME) associated with retinal vein occlusion (RVO), by evaluating the correlation between the final VA and VA at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the initial IVB.     

玻璃体腔注射曲安奈德治疗视网膜静脉阻塞黄斑水肿

目的:评价玻璃体腔注射曲安奈德治疗视网膜静脉阻塞合并黄斑水肿的疗效及并发症。方法:患者30例30眼玻璃体腔注射曲安奈德4mg治疗视网膜静脉阻塞合并黄斑水肿,观察治疗前、后的最佳矫正视力、眼压、裂隙灯显微镜检查、眼底荧光血管造影和光学相干断层扫描的变化,采用SPSS 12.0软件进行统计学分析。结果:所有患者手术后视力均显著提高,平均黄斑中心凹厚度(CMT)显著减少。病程、年龄、注射前CMT及视网膜静脉阻塞的类型和视力预后无相关性,注射前视力与注射后末次视力呈正相关。结论:玻璃体腔注射曲安奈德治疗视网膜静脉阻塞合并黄斑水肿简单、安全、易操作,短期内可以迅速减轻黄斑水肿,最终的视力预后取决于治疗前的视力,部分患者在注射后3 ～6mo可能复发。     

Intravitreal bevacizumab (avastin) as a treatment for refractory macular edema in patients with uveitis: a pilot study

PURPOSE:: Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which has been successfully used for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration with choroidal neovascularization. As VEGF is involved in the pathomechanisms of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction the authors used bevacizumab as a last resort treatment in patients with persistent uveitic cystoid macular edema (CME). PATIENTS AND METHODS:: Persistent uveitic CME was defined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements >250 mum despite previous treatments. The authors reviewed patients with persistent CME who subsequently had been treated with intravitreous bevacizumab 1.25 or 2.5 mg. Improvement was judged by visual acuity (VA) gain >/=2 lines and thickness reduction in OCT. RESULTS:: Eleven eyes of 10 patients were injected since February 2006. Median follow-up was 70 days. Reduction in central retinal thickness could be seen as early as 2 weeks with a mean foveal thickness reduction of 127.2 mum at 4 weeks. Concurrent improvement in VA was seen in 4 of 10 patients, and was unchanged in the others. Four patients received two injections and five patients received three injections. Except for progression of cataract in one eye no ocular or systemic adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSIONS:: Intravitreal bevacizumab seems to be an effective and safe treatment in the management of refractory inflammatory CME. The effect is transient, and reinjections may be necessary, although the time until reinjection is needed differs individually.     

Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for occult choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration

Background The purpose of the study is to report data on short-term safety of intravitreal bevacizumab treatment and its effect on visual function, central retinal thickness, and angiographical changes of occult choroidal neovascularization due to age-related macular degeneration. Methods A consecutive interventional case series of 30 patients with active subfoveal occult choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration was followed after one intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab at baseline and subsequent injections following standardized criteria. At baseline and follow-up visits patients had visual acuity assessment, intraocular pressure measurement, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography imaging. Results No serious ocular or systemic adverse events were identified. A significant increase of intraocular pressure or signs of retinal toxicity or endophthalmitis were not detected in any patient. Optical coherence tomography revealed significant decrease (p < 0.001) in central retinal thickness after 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks, respectively. Fluorescein leakage decreased within 1 week and improvement was maintained at week 12 in the majority of patients. Visual acuity improved or remained stable in 29 of 30 patients; improvement of 3 or more lines was seen in 14 of 30 patients; one patients showed improvement of 6 lines. No patient had severe vision loss of 6 lines or more; moderate vision loss of 3 lines was seen in one patient. Re-injections of bevacizumab according to standard criteria were performed one to two times during the follow-up period of 12 weeks with a re-injection interval of 4 to 18 weeks (median 8 weeks). Conclusions Short-term results suggest that intravitreal injection of bevacizumab is well tolerated and for the majority of patients with occult choroidal neovascularization in AMD results in improvement of visual acuity, decrease in central retina thickness, and reduction of angiographic leakage of the lesion. Bevacizumab as intravitreal treatment may provide a novel therapeutic option for selected patients with exudative AMD. Randomized prospective multicenter trials seem justified to further evaluate long term effects and impact of intravitreal bevacizumab on different subtypes of AMD compared to established therapies.     

Short-term efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion that is refractory to intravitreal bevacizumab

Aims:

To evaluate the 1-month efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in treating macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) that was refractory to intravitreal bevacizumab.

Materials and Methods:

This retrospective, observational study included 23 eyes from 23 patients with macular edema secondary to RVO. Macular edema that did not respond to two or more consecutive intravitreal bevacizumab injections was treated with intravitreal TA. Central foveal thickness (CFT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were compared before and one month after TA injection.

Results:

Fifteen eyes were diagnosed with central RVO, and eight eyes were diagnosed with branch RVO. All patients were previously treated with 2.4 ± 0.6 intravitreal bevacizumab injections. The TA injection was performed, on average, 5.8 ± 1.4 weeks after the last bevacizumab injection. The CFT before TA injection was 516.6 ± 112.4 μm and significantly decreased to 402.3 ± 159.7 μm after TA therapy (P < 0.001). The logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution BCVA was 0.72 ± 0.34 before TA therapy and was not significantly improved by the treatment (0.67 ± 0.35, P = 0.119), despite a decrease in CFT. However, seven eyes (30.4%) had a BCVA gain of one or more lines.

Conclusions:

Intravitreal TA therapy was beneficial in some patients with macular edema secondary to RVO that was refractory to intravitreal bevacizumab therapy. This study suggests that intravitreal TA should be considered as a treatment option for refractory macular edema.     

Intravitreal bevacizumab (avastin) for central and hemicentral retinal vein occlusions: IBeVO study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety, visual acuity changes, and morphologic effects associated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections for the management of macular edema due to ischemic central or hemicentral retinal vein occlusion (RVO). METHODS: In this prospective, open-label study, 7 consecutive patients (7 eyes) with macular edema associated with ischemic central or hemicentral RVO were treated with intravitreal injections of 2.0 mg (0.08 mL) of bevacizumab at 12-week intervals. Standardized ophthalmic evaluation was performed at baseline and at weeks 1, 6, and 12 after each injection. Clinical evidence of toxicity and complications as well as changes in logarithm of minimum angle of resolution Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT) and total macular volume (TMV) shown by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and dye leakage shown by fluorescein angiography were evaluated. RESULTS: The median age of the 7 patients was 65 years (range, 58-74 years), and the median duration of symptoms before injection was 7 months (range, 2.5-16 months). At baseline, mean BCVA was 1.21 (Snellen equivalent, approximately 20/320) in the affected eye. Mean baseline CMT and TMV were 730.1 microm and 17.1 mm(3), respectively. Fluorescein leakage was observed in the macula and affected retinal quadrants in all seven eyes. Six patients completed the 25-week follow-up examination with reinjections performed at weeks 12 and 24. The most common adverse events were conjunctival hyperemia and subconjunctival hemorrhage at the injection site. At the last follow-up, mean BCVA in the affected eye was 0.68 (Snellen equivalent, 20/100(+1). No patient had a decrease in BCVA. Mean CMT and TMV at the 25-week follow-up were 260.3 microm and 9.0 mm(3), respectively; fluorescein leakage within the macula and affected retinal quadrants as compared with baseline was markedly reduced in all patients. Coupled with fluorescein angiographic findings, OCT data suggest a trend of macular edema recurrence between 6 weeks and 12 weeks after injection. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal bevacizumab injections of 2.0 mg at 12-week intervals were well tolerated and were associated with short-term BCVA stabilization or improvement and favorable macular changes in all patients with ischemic RVO and associated macular edema.     

玻璃体腔内注射Bevacizumab联合眼底激光治疗视网膜静脉阻塞继发黄斑水肿的临床观察

目的观察玻璃体腔内注射Bevacizumab联合眼底激光治疗视网膜静脉阻塞（RVO）继发黄斑水肿的安全性及临床疗效。方法回顾性系列病例研究。确诊的RVO继发黄斑水肿患者共30例（30眼）,其中分支静脉阻塞20例,中央静脉阻塞10例。年龄34—79岁,平均（57．3＋8．9）岁。玻璃体腔内注射Bevacizumab的剂量按照PrONTO研究组方法,为1．25mg,3次注射后,根据眼底荧光造影（FFA）结果补充眼底激光治疗。治疗前和治疗后1、3、6、12个月对患者进行视力、眼底照相、相干光学断层扫描、FFA检查。采用ETDRS视力表进行视力检查;采用光学相关断层扫描仪测量黄斑区视网膜神经上皮层厚度（CRT）。患者治疗后各个时间点的最佳矫正视力（BCVA）、CRT值与治疗前基线值比较采用配对t检验,RVO患者各个时间点的BCVA与CRT值的相关性采用直线回归分析。结果30例RVO患者平均接受玻璃体腔内注射（3．9±1．9）次,视力提高15个字符及以上者16眼（54％）,视力提高5。lO个字符者10眼（33％）,视力稳定在5个字符以内者4眼（13％）。治疗后12个月时,ETDRS视力为60±19,与治疗前（42±19）相比,差异有统计学意义（f=7．87,P〈O．05）。平均CRT值末次随访时为（268．9±115．9）μm,与治疗前［（616．7±177．0）μm]相比,差异有统计学意义（t=13．23,P〈O．01）。治疗后12个月BCVA与治疗前BCVA的相关性存在统计学意义（r=0．791,P〈0．01）,无论何种类型静脉阻塞,基线视力、预后视力与治疗前黄斑水肿程度均无相关性。末次随访时21眼（70％）黄斑区未见明显囊性积液,9眼（30％）仍有少量囊性积液,FFA显示复发的主要原因为黄斑区小血管渗漏。治疗及随访过程中未见明显不良反应发生。结论对RVO继发黄斑水肿患者进行玻璃体腔内注射Bevacizumab联合眼底激光治疗,可保存或改善视力,有效减轻黄斑水肿;黄斑区毛细血管渗漏是引起黄斑水肿复发的主要原因,所以重复玻璃体腔注射是必需的。     

Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for occult choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study is to report data on short-term safety of intravitreal bevacizumab treatment and its effect on visual function, central retinal thickness, and angiographical changes of occult choroidal neovascularization due to age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: A consecutive interventional case series of 30 patients with active subfoveal occult choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration was followed after one intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab at baseline and subsequent injections following standardized criteria. At baseline and follow-up visits patients had visual acuity assessment, intraocular pressure measurement, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography imaging. RESULTS: No serious ocular or systemic adverse events were identified. A significant increase of intraocular pressure or signs of retinal toxicity or endophthalmitis were not detected in any patient. Optical coherence tomography revealed significant decrease (p < 0.001) in central retinal thickness after 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks, respectively. Fluorescein leakage decreased within 1 week and improvement was maintained at week 12 in the majority of patients. Visual acuity improved or remained stable in 29 of 30 patients; improvement of 3 or more lines was seen in 14 of 30 patients; one patients showed improvement of 6 lines. No patient had severe vision loss of 6 lines or more; moderate vision loss of 3 lines was seen in one patient. Re-injections of bevacizumab according to standard criteria were performed one to two times during the follow-up period of 12 weeks with a re-injection interval of 4 to 18 weeks (median 8 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term results suggest that intravitreal injection of bevacizumab is well tolerated and for the majority of patients with occult choroidal neovascularization in AMD results in improvement of visual acuity, decrease in central retina thickness, and reduction of angiographic leakage of the lesion. Bevacizumab as intravitreal treatment may provide a novel therapeutic option for selected patients with exudative AMD. Randomized prospective multicenter trials seem justified to further evaluate long term effects and impact of intravitreal bevacizumab on different subtypes of AMD compared to established therapies.     

Electrophysiological evaluation of retinal photoreceptor function after repeated bevacizumab injections

Bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) was one of the first anti-VEGF substances used to treat macular edema or choroidal neovascularization in patients with vascular ocular pathologies. However, only few studies evaluate the safety of intravitreal bevacizumab injections in regard to retinal photoreceptor function. We evaluated retinal function after repeated (2-3) monthly injections of bevacizumab in a prospective case series of 10 patients with various retinal diseases. Study endpoints were visual acuity (VA) using ETDRS charts and 3 full-field electroretinography sessions with a flash intensity range of 0.0005-2 cds/m(2). V-log-I b-wave amplitudes were fitted by a Naka-Rushton model. No significant changes in scotopic or photopic ERG measures were observed between baseline ERG and last follow-up ERG. Individual patients showed transient alterations of ERG measures on the first follow-up visit. Mean visual acuity was stable over the time course of the study (logMAR = 0.42 at baseline and logMAR = 0.48 at last follow-up). In conclusion, three monthly repeated injections of bevacizumab do not affect mid-term electrophysiological retinal function. Transient alterations in ERG readings of individual patients 1 week after intravitreal bevacizumab injection may be attributed to short-term disruption of the retinal equilibrium through the trauma of injection. Evaluation of patients receiving more than three injections of anti-VEGF substances should be the focus of future studies.     

Short-term results of intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema with retinal vein obstruction and diabetic macular edema.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the short-term effect, safety, and durability of intravitreally injected bevacizumab in patients with macular edema (ME) caused by retinal vein obstruction (RVO) and diabetic macular edema (DME). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 39 eyes of 36 patients, 14 with ME caused by RVO and 25 with DME, who received intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg) and were followed up for at least 3 months. Monthly assessments examined safety, best corrected visual acuity with an ETDRS chart (logMAR), and central retinal thickness (CRT) using optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: No significant ocular or systemic side-effects were observed. The follow-up period was 5.4 +/- 1.1 months (mean +/- standard deviation). During follow-up, the mean number of injections was 1.4 +/- 0.5. The baseline mean logMAR was 0.91 +/- 0.51, and the mean CRT was 552.6 +/- 186.7 microm. At 1, 2, and 3 months, the mean logMAR was 0.67 +/- 0.46 (paired t test, P < 0.001), 0.66 +/- 0.46 (P < 0.001), and 0.69 +/- 0.45 (P < 0.001), respectively, and the mean CRT was 323.1 +/- 151.9 mum (P < 0.001), 324.6 +/- 136.9 mum (P < 0.001), and 382.5 +/- 130.4 microm (P < 0.001), respectively. Fourteen (14) of 34 eyes with more than 3 months of follow-up required a second injection at a mean 3.4 +/- 1.0 months after the initial injection. For both ME caused RVO and DME patients, a bevacizumab administration improved logMAR and CRT at each time point through to 6 months, except for logMAR in DME at 1 week (P = 0.081), 5 months (P = 0.130) and 6 months (P = 0.759). CONCLUSIONS: An intravitreal bevacizumab injection for ME caused by RVO and DME was safe and effective for improving visual acuity and reducing CRT.     

A systematic review on the effect of bevacizumab in exudative age-related macular degeneration

Aim  To provide evidence for the effect of bevacizumab on visual acuity (VA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) in exudative age-related macular degeneration Methods  A systematic review of all articles of bevacizumab for exudative AMD was conducted. Articles published up to March 2008 were identified in Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and references from included articles. Search terms were “Bevacizumab or Avastin” and “Macula* or ARMD or AMD or intra(-)vitreal or intra(-)vitreous”. Three observers participated in the data retrieval and assignment of the quality scores. Results  A total of 561 articles were retrieved. Three randomised controlled trials (RCT) and 23 before-and-after studies of patients (n = 1,435) who had received bevacizumab were published. Inclusion criteria varied. Lack of masking was the main methodological shortcoming. These RCTs showed that bevacizumab is more effective than PDT. Bevacizumab was given intravenously or as intravitreal injection. The latter was given once, or repeatedly every 4 weeks, and with or without additional injection when a recurrence occurred, mostly based on visual acuity and/or findings from optical coherence tomography. After intravenous administration, the weighted mean change in VA was +12.8 ETDRS letters (range +11 to +14) and the weighted mean change for CRT was −129 μm (range −100 to −202). For the 23 studies with intravitreal injections, the change in VA was +8.6 letters (range +2 to +26) and the change in CRT was −90 μm (range −46 to −190). The incidence of adverse events was low. The change in VA was 2.7 letters higher for studies with a higher quality vs lower quality. Conclusion  Visual acuity improves and central retinal thickness decreases in patients with exudative AMD after bevacizumab. There is no reasonable doubt that this is caused by bevacizumab. It is likely that a randomised controlled trial will show that bevacizumab is equivalent in effect to ranibizumab, which showed a change in ETDRS of +5.9 letters for occult or minimally classic CNV and +9.8 letters for classic CNV after three monthly injections in two large RCTs. The authors had no commercial or proprietary interest.     

Ultrasound assessment of short‐term ocular vascular effects of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin®) in neovascular age‐related macular degeneration

Acta Ophthalmol. 2010: 88: 641–645

Abstract.

Purpose: Angiogenic inhibitors, alone or combined with other therapies, are believed to represent a promising treatment for neovascularization in age‐related macular degeneration (wet AMD). They can maintain or improve visual acuity (VA), at least for the first 2 years. However, evolution to retinal atrophy cannot be ruled out and it may be useful to assess the effects of antiangiogenic therapy on retinal and choroidal circulation. Methods: We carried out a pilot study in 15 patients with wet AMD. Time‐averaged mean blood flow velocities (BFVs) in the central retinal, temporal posterior ciliary and ophthalmic arteries (CRA, TPCA and OA) were measured by ultrasound imaging before and 4 weeks after a single intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab in 0.05 ml. Patients underwent two ophthalmic examinations, before and 4 weeks after injection, including VA measurement and optical coherence tomography (OCT3) examination. Results: In treated eyes, bevacizumab injection was followed by a significant improvement in VA (from 20/125 to 20/80; p = 0.0214), and a decrease in mean central macular thickness (from 392 ± 96 μm to 271 ± 50 μm; p = 0.0038). Mean BFV decreased by 10% in the CRA (p = 0.0226), 20% in the TPCA (p = 0.0026) and 20% in the OA (p = 0.0003). No effect was observed in fellow eyes. Conclusions: Intravitreal bevacizumab acutely improved VA and reduced central macular thickness in wet AMD. Ultrasound imaging revealed that BFVs decreased in all retrobulbar arteries, suggesting that after local diffusion, bevacizumab exerts a short‐term regional effect. Bevacizumab might therefore induce hypoperfusion of the whole eye, which may correspond to a vascular side‐effect.     

Efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab in treating postoperative pseudophakic cystoid macular edema

PURPOSE: To describe the efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with cystoid macular edema (CME) after cataract surgery (Irvine-Gass syndrome). METHODS: This retrospective case series comprised 16 eyes of 16 patients with CME after cataract surgery refractory to current standard treatment who received an injection of 1.25 mg intravitreal Avastin. The main outcome measures were visual acuity, retinal thickness on optical coherence tomography (OCT), and complications related to treatment. RESULTS: The median duration of CME before treatment with intravitreal Avastin was 14 weeks (range 3 to 84 weeks). Although the mean retinal thickness decreased slightly after intravitreal Avastin, the mean visual acuity remained unchanged. Visual acuity improved by 2 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study lines in 1 patient, remained unchanged in 12 patients, and decreased by 2 lines in 2 patients. Repeated Avastin injections did not result in a better outcome. Other than mild ocular irritation, there were no adverse effects of the intravitreal injections. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal injection of Avastin, although safe, did not result in improved visual function in patients with postoperative CME. In contrast to findings in a previous case report, the beneficial effect of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibition in Irvine-Gass syndrome was not observed.     

视网膜静脉阻塞患者视力预后相关因素分析

目的研究各型视网膜静脉阻塞患者的视力预后、并发症及视力降低的相关因素.方法视网膜静脉阻塞患者913例(944只眼),年龄15～89岁,平均(52.8±11.9)岁;平均随访时间20.7个月.患者所有临床资料均输入计算机,应用SPSS软件进行统计学处理.结果 (1)按部位分型总干阻塞406只眼,占43.0%;半侧阻塞60只眼,占6.4%;分支阻塞478只眼,占50.6%.(2)按缺血分型944只眼中,缺血型633只眼,占67.1%;非缺血型311只眼,占32.9%.(3)患者视力预后各型静脉阻塞患者治疗前、后视力比较,总干阻塞和半侧阻塞的差异无显著性(t=1.45,1.62;均P>0.05),分支阻塞的差异有显著意义(t=7.89,P<0.05).(4) 患者初诊视力水平与预后3种类型静脉阻塞患者视力预后均差;患者的初诊视力水平均与视力预后密切相关(χ2=175.261,21.357,106.408;均P<0.01).(5) 静脉阻塞导致的低视力和盲目率各型静脉阻塞患者的低视力与盲目率比较,差异有显著意义(χ2=85.251,P<0.01).(6) 缺血型与非缺血型患者视力预后比较视网膜静脉总干阻塞、半侧阻塞、分支阻塞患者中缺血型与非缺血型比较,差异均有显著意义(χ2=157.819,19.637,56.737;P<0.01).(7)导致静脉阻塞的危险因素高血压占57.8%,动脉硬化占67.4%,血液黏稠度增高占24.6%,原发性青光眼占1.5%,糖尿病占6.2%.(8) 静脉阻塞患者并发症的发生率黄斑囊样水肿占46.7%,视网膜和(或)视乳头新生血管占21.5%,玻璃体出血占11.4%,新生血管性青光眼占4.2%.其中总干阻塞发生新生血管性青光眼39只眼,占总干阻塞的9.6%,占半侧阻塞的1.7%.(9)并发症导致的低视力和盲目率低视力者中,黄斑囊样水肿占37.9%,新生血管占29.9%;盲目者中,黄斑囊样水肿占19.5%,新生血管占23.0%.新生血管性青光眼导致的盲目者中,视力<0.05者占95.0%.结论视网膜静脉阻塞的致盲率较高,影响视力预后的最重要因素是缺血型视网膜静脉阻塞.初诊视力水平与视力预后关系密切,黄斑囊样水肿、新生血管及新生血管性青光眼为致盲的重要原因.     

球后注射曲安奈德治疗视网膜静脉阻塞继发黄斑水肿

目的 观察球后注射曲安奈德(TA)治疗不同类型视网膜静脉阻塞(RVO)所致黄斑水肿的临床疗效.设计回顾性病例系列.研究对象不同类型RVO继发黄斑水肿的患者21例21眼.方法患者均经球后注射TA 40 mg,随访观察不同类型、不同病程RVO致黄斑水肿治疗前后的视力、眼压、荧光素眼底血管造影(FFA)和相干光断层扫描(OCT)检测黄斑水肿的变化情况.随访6～11个月.主要指标视力、黄斑中心凹平均厚度.结果到最后一次随访时,视力提高16眼(76.2%),视力不变5眼(23.8%).治疗前及最后一次随访时黄斑中心凹平均厚度(617.23±185.58)μm、(287.55±121.70)μm(P=0.000).治疗后CRVO组与BRVO组之间、缺血型组与非缺血型组之间,无论是视力还是黄斑中心凹平均厚度的变化的比较,差异均无明显统计学意义(P>0.05);病程≤3个月以及3～6个月的患者治疗前后的视力差异有统计学意义(P值分别为0.011,0.01),病程≥6个月的患者治疗前后的视力差异无明显统计学意义(P=0.583).FFA显示治疗后黄斑区荧光素渗漏明显减轻.所有患者随访期间眼压均≤21 mmHg.8例患者治疗后2～6个月黄斑水肿复发.结论 球后注射TA可有效治疗RVO引起的黄斑水肿,操作简便且安全性高,早期治疗效果好.     

Comparison of intravitreal bevacizumab with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for treatment of cystoid macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion: a Meta-analysis

AIM: To compare the effects of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) on the treatment of cystoid macular edema (CME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). METHODS: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science and the Chinese Biomedical Database. The comparison was divided into two groups, group 1 conducted comparison in branch RVO (BRVO) or central RVO (CRVO), group 2 conducted comparison in ischemic-RVO or nonischemic-RVO. Pooled mean differences (MDs) for changes in visual acuity (VA), central macular thickness (CMT) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were calculated in groups at 4, 12 and 24wk after treatment respectively. RESULTS: Eight studies comparing the efficacy of IVB with IVTA were included in the Meta-analysis. In group 1, in BRVO, significant difference was shown on the comparison of CMT at 24wk (MD, -45.66; 95% CI, -76.03 to -15.28; P=0.003), IVB was effective on BRVO for at least 24wk; no significant differences were found in the comparison of VA at each time points (P>0.05 respectively). In CRVO, no significant differences were found in the comparison of VA or CMT between IVB and IVTA at each time points (P>0.05, respectively). In group 2, in ischemic-RVO, significant differences were shown in the comparison of VA (MD, -0.28; 95% CI, -0.42 to -0.14; P<0.0001) and CMT (MD, -86.50; 95% CI, -151.18 to -22.43; P=0.008) at 24wk; In nonischemic-RVO, no significant differences were demonstrated in the comparison of VA or CMT between IVB and IVTA at each time points (P>0.05, respectively). The occurrence of high IOP was much lower in IVB group. CONCLUSION: This Meta-analysis suggested that IVB was effective in decreasing CMT in BRVO for at least 24wk, IVB is more effective on improving VA and reducing CMT in ischemic-RVO. IVB is more promising on RVO than IVTA.     

Bevacizumab zur Therapie des Makulaödems infolge venöser retinaler Gefäßverschlüsse

BACKGROUND: Retinal vein occlusion often leads to macular edema as a result of an elevated level of intravitreal VEGF. We report on the anatomic and functional results after intravitreal bevacizumab injections in patients with retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: In a prospective study, 18 patients with central, and 22 patients with branch retinal vein occlusion, all of whom had persistent macular edema (>300 microm) received 2.5 mg intravitreal bevacizumab. ETDRS visual acuity, ophthalmic examination and stratus OCT were performed at baseline, 1 week after injection and then monthly. Further injections were given every 6 weeks in patients with persistent or recurring macular edema.RESULTS: The findings did not deteriorate in any of the 40 patients. The injections (mean of 2.6+/-1.4 injections/patient) were very well tolerated in all cases during a mean follow-up of 23+/-13 weeks. On the last visit, 73.3% of patients with central retinal vein occlusion and 76.5% of those with branch retinal vein occlusion were found to have significantly improved visual acuity (by at least 3 lines). Mean central retinal thickness had decreased from 921+/-264 to 239+/-66.2 microm in patients with central retinal vein occlusion, and from 678+/-221 to 236+/-78 microm in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion.CONCLUSIONS: Neither intraocular nor systemic side-effects were observed in this study after repeated intravitreal injections of 2.5 mg bevacizumab. Current results suggest that intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy is a promising option in macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion.     

Prognostic factors for visual outcome after intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic factors for visual outcome after intravitreal bevacizumab injection to treat macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS: Fifty eyes of 50 consecutive patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema due to BRVO with minimum follow-up of 3 months were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were categorized into two groups according to the final visual acuity. Group 1 consisted of eyes with 5 or more ETDRS letters gain, and group 2 consisted of eyes with less than 5 letters improvement or which had worsened at last follow-up visit. Comparative clinical and fluorescein angiographic characteristics were analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: Of 50 eyes, 28 (56%) had improved vision after intravitreal bevacizumab injections and were categorized as group 1; 22 eyes (44%) were categorized as group 2. The number of early VA gainers, who showed visual improvement at 1 month after bevacizumab injection, was significantly higher in group 1 (P < 0.001, chi-square test). The early gainers tend to maintain significantly better visual outcome until last follow-up. The number of eyes with angiographically documented macular ischemia was significantly higher in group 2 (P < 0.001). In group 2, the decrease in central macular thickness was not accompanied by visual acuity improvement. CONCLUSION: Preoperative presence of macular ischemia can be useful in predicting the outcome of visual acuity after intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema due to BRVO. The early gainers who favorably responded to the initial intravitreal bevacizumab injection are most likely to benefit from the bevacizumab treatment.     

Combined intravitreal bevacizumab and triamcinolone in exudative age‐related macular degeneration

Acta Ophthalmol. 2010: 88: 630–634

Abstract.

Purpose: We report on the combined application of intravitreal bevacizumab and triamcinolone acetonide for treatment of exudative age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: The clinical interventional case‐series study included 16 patients (16 eyes) with exudative AMD who had previously received 3.5 ± 1.8 mono‐injections of bevacizumab (1.5 mg) without significant improvement in visual acuity (VA) or reduction in macular exudation. All patients underwent a combined intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (1.5 mg) and triamcinolone acetonide (about 20 mg). Main outcome measures were VA and macular thickness as determined by optical coherence tomography. All patients were re‐examined at 2–3 months after the intervention. Results: Visual acuity improved significantly (p = 0.03) from 0.80 ± 0.40 logMAR prior to the combined injection to 0.65 ± 0.42 logMAR at 3 months after the injection. An improvement of ≥ 1 Snellen line was found in eight subjects, an increase of ≥ 2 lines in five subjects, and an improvement of ≥ 3 lines in two subjects. One patient lost 1 line and one patient lost 3 lines. Central retinal thickness decreased significantly from 272 ± 62 μm to 220 ± 47 μm (p = 0.03). At the 6‐month follow‐up examination, central retinal thickness had increased again to 319 ± 142 μm, which was not significantly (p = 0.30) different from baseline measurements. Conclusions: The combined intravitreal application of bevacizumab and triamcinolone may temporarily be helpful in the treatment of exudative AMD if previous intravitreal bevacizumab mono‐injections have failed to improve vision and reduce macular oedema.