Dalteparin in the management of recent onset central retinal vein occlusion: a comparison with acetylsalicylic acid.
BACKGROUND
The present study assessed the therapeutic effects of dalteparin in patients who had recent onset central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) as compared with those of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).


METHODS
Patients with recent onset of CRVO were randomly assigned to receive dalteparin subcutaneously every day for 20 days or ASA daily for the same period. Complete ophthalmic examinations were conducted at baseline and at each follow-up interval: 1 week and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months later. Best-corrected visual acuity was assessed by an investigator blind to the treatment group.


RESULTS
The mean 6-month change in logMAR visual acuity for dalteparin-treated patients was an increase of 5.5 letters (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart) (-0.11 [SD 0.71] logMAR) and for ASA-treated patients was a decrease of 14 letters (+0.28 [SD 0.79] logMAR), representing a significant difference between the 2 groups (p = 0.016). One patient in the dalteparin group and 14 in the ASA group showed iris neovascularization (NVI) (2.1% vs. 30.4%, p = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Dalteparin was found to be superior to ASA in terms of improving visual acuity and preventing NVI over the first 6 months of treatment. Similar studies are recommended of other newer types of anticoagulants, especially those that could be used orally.
Farahvash
Mohammad S
MS
Department of Ophthalmology and the Eye Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. farahva@yahoo.com
Moghaddam
Marzieh Moradi
MM
Moghimi
Sasan
S
Mohammadzadeh
Shiva
S
D000284:Administration, Oral; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017985:Dalteparin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects
D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D001241:Aspirin; D017985:Dalteparin