Radial optic neurotomy shows efficacy in treating central retinal vein occlusion

Treating central retinal vein occlusion with radial optic neurotomy may result in long-term vision improvement, according to a study by researchers in Austria. Patients with nonischemic vein occlusion may respond more favorably than patients with ischemic vein occlusion, the study authors noted.

Susanne Binder, MD, and colleagues reviewed long-term outcomes for 14 eyes of 14 consecutive patients who underwent radial optic neurotomy after pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling as treatment for central retinal vein occlusion.

Follow-up ranged from 24 months to 48 months, according to the study.

At 24 months follow-up, median visual acuity had improved from 1.05 logMAR at baseline to 1.005 logMAR (P = .013), the authors reported.

Specifically, six patients (43%) gained one or more lines of visual acuity, and four patients (29%) improved by three or more lines, they found.

Additionally, eyes with nonischemic central retinal vein occlusion demonstrated a significantly higher improvement in visual acuity than eyes with ischemic vein occlusion (P = .0007), according to the study.

The study is published in the October issue of Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.