title: Arteriovenous crossing sheathotomy versus intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection for treatment of macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the functional and anatomical outcomes of arteriovenous (AV) sheathotomy and intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection in the treatment of macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty eyes of 40 patients with macular edema secondary to BRVO were randomized into two treatment groups. A total of 20 patients received AV sheathotomy (sheathotomy group), and the second group of 20 patients was treated with IVTA (IVTA group). Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity (VA) score, total macular volume measured, and foveal thickness by 3rd generation optical coherence tomography (OCT3) were evaluated as main outcome measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average changes in ETDRS scores, total macular volumes, and foveal thicknesses compared to baseline values, were significant 3 months and 6 months after treatment in both groups (P < 0.05, paired t-test), but only the IVTA group showed significant improvements 1 month after treatment. The between-group differences in average ETDRS score, total macular volume, and foveal thickness changes were significantly better at 1 month after treatment in the ITVA group (P = 0.026, P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively, Student's t-test), at which time IVTA patients had better vision and anatomical outcomes than did those in the sheathotomy group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After either AV sheathotomy or IVTA treatment, patients with macular edema secondary to BRVO showed similar functional and anatomical outcomes 6 months later. When the cost and the risks of vitreoretinal surgery are considered, IVTA treatment may be a better treatment option, as the drug yields better short-term outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, NHIC Ilsan Hospital, Gyounggi-do, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Jee
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyoung Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D012171:Retinal Vessels; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide