title: One-year outcome of bevacizumab therapy for chronic macular edema in central and branch retinal vein occlusions in real-world clinical practice in the UK.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the 12-month outcome of macular edema secondary to both chronic and new central and branch retinal vein occlusions treated with intravitreal bevacizumab in the real-life clinical setting in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case notes analysis of consecutive patients with retinal vein occlusions treated with bevacizumab in 2010 to 2012. Outcome measures were visual acuity (measured with Snellen, converted into logMAR [logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution] for statistical calculation) and central retinal thickness at baseline, 4 weeks post-loading phase, and at 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 56 and 100 patients with central and branch retinal vein occlusions, respectively, of whom 62% had chronic edema and received prior therapies and another 32% required additional laser treatments post-baseline bevacizumab. Baseline median visual acuity was 0.78 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.48-1.22) in the central group and 0.6 (IQR 0.3-0.78) in the branch group. In both groups, visual improvement was statistically significant from baseline compared to post-loading (P<0.001 and P=0.03, respectively), but was not significant by month 12 (P=0.058 and P=0.166, respectively); 30% improved by at least three lines and 44% improved by at least one line by month 12. Baseline median central retinal thickness was 449 μm (IQR 388-553) in the central group and 441 μm (IQR 357-501) in the branch group. However, the mean reduction in thickness was statistically significant at post-loading (P<0.001) and at the 12-month time point (P<0.001) for both groups. The average number of injections in 1 year was 4.2 in the central group and 3.3 in the branch group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our large real-world cohort results indicate that bevacizumab introduced to patients with either new or chronic edema due to retinal vein occlusion can result in resolution of edema and stabilization of vision in the first year.
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Peck Lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lip
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Huzaifa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malick
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Damer
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elsherbiny
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Kanupriya M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Darrad
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mushtaq
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Arijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stavrou
authors.affiliation: Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Aston University, Birmingham, UK ; School of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Yit
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: chronic; laser; loading dose; risk factors; subretinal fluid