Predictive factors for recurrence of macular edema after successful intravitreal bevacizumab therapy in branch retinal vein occlusion.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to investigate predictive factors associated with efficacy and recurrence after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) therapy for macular edema (ME) in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).


METHODS
Fifty-two eyes of 52 patients who underwent IVB as a primary treatment against ME associated with BRVO were included retrospectively. Based on the postoperative central retinal thickness (CRT), the patients were classified into two groups: an effective group in which the CRT decreased to ≤250 µm within postoperative 3 months and an ineffective group in which the CRT remained >250 µm throughout the first 3 months. The effective group was then divided into two subgroups: a recurrent group in which ME had once resolved but recurred afterward, and a nonrecurrent group in which the resolution of ME was maintained throughout the follow-up period without additional injections. Preoperative factors such as age, gender, estimated elapsed time from disease onset to IVB, visual acuity, and CRT were compared between groups.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between effective (n = 37) and ineffective (n = 15) groups in all preoperative factors. Between recurrent (n = 26) and nonrecurrent (n = 11) groups, elapsed time was significantly different (29.7 ± 29.5 vs. 15.7 ± 8.9 weeks, respectively; P = 0.036), and there were no significant differences in the remaining factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Early IVB treatment against BRVO may suppress ME recurrence.
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2-1-1 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.|Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, 2-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
Rika
R
Yamada
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2-1-1 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan. aki_n@kcho.jp.|Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, 2-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan. aki_n@kcho.jp.
Akihiro
A
Nishida
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2-1-1 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.|Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, 2-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
Masataka
M
Shimozono
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2-1-1 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.|Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, 2-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
Takanori
T
Kameda
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2-1-1 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.|Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, 2-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
Noriko
N
Miyamoto
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2-1-1 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.|Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, 2-2-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
Michiko
M
Mandai
Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2-1-1 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.|Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, 2-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
Yasuo
Y
Kurimoto
D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab
Bevacizumab; Branch retinal vein occlusion; Macular edema; Recurrence