title: Twelve-month experience with Ozurdex for the treatment of macular edema associated with retinal vein occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex) alone or in combination with bevacizumab.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four eyes were prospectively investigated. Group 1 (22 central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and 16 branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO)) was treated with Ozurdex alone, and group 2 (14 CRVO and 12 BRVO) was treated with three consecutive bevacizumab injections followed by Ozurdex. Recurrences were treated with Ozurdex only. Patients were seen preoperatively and thereafter in monthly intervals. The primary end point was best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In group 1, BCVA improved by 6.6 (±1.7) letters in CRVO and 7.8 (±2.9) in BRVO patients, and in group 2 by 9.8 (±1.0) vs 9.4 (±2.1) letters. A significant difference was only seen between CRVO patients in group 1 and 2 at 12 months (P<0.05). Recurrence after the first Ozurdex injection occurred after 3.8 (CRVO) and 3.5 months (BRVO) in group 1, vs 3.2 and 3.7 months in group 2. Elevated intraocular pressure (>5 mm Hg) was measured in approximately 40% cataract progression requiring surgery in about 50% of eyes after three Ozurdex injections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined treatment showed slightly better functional outcome for CRVO patients. Increased intraocular pressure and cataract progression was frequent and should be considered when an individual treatment is planned.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kernt
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kook
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kampik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ulbig
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haritoglou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004343:Drug Implants; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D004343:Drug Implants; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D003907:Dexamethasone