Effect of vitreomacular adhesion on antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion

Purpose

To investigate the association between vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) and the visual and anatomic outcomes of antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy for macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Methods

This study included 107 eyes of 107 patients with BRVO who underwent intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab. The presence of VMA was determined with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). All eyes underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) measurements using SD-OCT immediately before the injection and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the injection. The main outcome measures were changes in BCVA and CRT from baseline.

Results

The VMA(+) and VMA(?) groups consisted of 47 and 60 eyes, respectively, and patients’ age differed significantly between the groups (P < 0.001). In both groups, BCVA and CRT improved after the injection. The VMA(+) group showed better improvement in BCVA than did the VMA(?) group (P = 0.0150), and the presence of VMA was associated with a greater decrease in CRT after adjusting for age (P = 0.0019).

Conclusions

Presence of VMA may be associated with superior visual and anatomic outcome for intravitreal bevacizumab in the treatment of macular edema due to BRVO.