Effect of Vitreous Reflux After Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection for Macular Edema with Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion: A Real-World Study

Overview

Journal J Ophthalmol

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Ophthalmology

Date 2024 Sep 12

PMID 39263211

Authors

Tetsuya Muto

Masaaki Sakamoto

Shigeki Machida

Shinichiro Imaizumi

Tetsuju Sekiryu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of vitreous reflux (VR) after intravitreal aflibercept injection (IVAI) for macular edema (ME) following naïve branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Methods: Eighty patients with ME following BRVO were divided into three groups according to the conjunctival bleb diameter after IVAI as follows: group A (no VR), group; B (<3 mm VR), and group C (>3 mm VR). Each patient received single IVAI. The treatment response was evaluated with the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography measurements of the retinal foveal thickness (RFT) before treatment and 1 month after the first injection. RFT >375 m was defined as recurrence and received additional IVAI. The recurrence rate of ME and total numbers of IVAI were investigated at 12 months.

Results: The BCVA values at 1 month were 0.17 ± 0.29 in group A ( = 41), 0.18 ± 0.17 in group B ( = 18), and 0.19 ± 0.26 in group C ( = 21). The RFT at 1 month were 270 ± 45 m in group A, 279 ± 24 m in group B, and 290 ± 43 m in group C, respectively. ME recurred in 29 out of 41 patients in group A, 15 out of 18 in group B, and 14 out of 21 in group C. The total numbers of IVAI were 2.50 ± 1.24 in group A, 2.59 ± 1.06 in group B, and 2.29 ± 1.27 in group C, respectively. In the above mentioned comparisons, no significant differences were found following an IVAI ( > 0.05).

Conclusions: VR after IVAI did not affect the therapeutic effect in patients with ME following BRVO. Thus, we do not need to pay excess attention to VR in the case of IVAI.

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