Comparison of bevacizumab and triamcinolone for treatment of macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion in a pair-matched analysis.
BACKGROUND
To compare the outcome of bevacizumab or triamcinolone acetate (TA) treatment in patients with macular edema (ME) after branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).


METHODS
In a retrospective assessment, 10 bevacizumab-treated patients and 10 TA-treated with ME after BRVO were pair-matched according to initial best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) as measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT). BCVA and CMT were the main endpoints.


RESULTS
The initial BCVA was 0.2 +/- 0.13 in bevacizumab-treated patients and 0.2 +/- 0.16 in TA-treated patients, with a CMT of 497 +/- 102 microm and 517 +/- 88 microm, respectively. Following bevacizumab, the mean final BCVA increased by 2.8 +/- 4 lines, and by 0.6 +/- 3.5 lines in patients receiving TA. The mean final CMT was 238 +/- 118 microm and 195 +/- 243 microm in the respective treatment groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Both treatments decreased the CMT, but only bevacizumab induced an improvement in BCVA from baseline, which was significant 8 weeks after treatment, but no longer significant after 13 months.
Guthoff
Rainer
R
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. r.guthoff@uni-wuerzburg.de
Meigen
Thomas
T
Hennemann
Kathrin
K
Schrader
Wolfgang
W
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014822:Vitreous Body
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D005938:Glucocorticoids; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide