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Series studies effects of dexamethasone, bevacizumab on CMT, visual acuity in patients with retinal vein occlusion
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Intravitreal bevacizumab was superior to dexamethasone with regard to visual improvement in a series of patients with macular edema secondary to branch or central retinal vein occlusion, according to a poster presented here.
Meanwhile, dexamethasone had a more significant result in reducing central macular thickness, but there was no statistically significant difference between the treatments at the final follow-up.
“You cannot have one treatment for all these patients,” co-author Zoya Hameed, MD, told Ocular Surgery News at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting. “Treatments can be tailored to how the patient’s pathophysiological damage is in their eye. Test patients and then tailor the treatment for them.”
Twenty-three patients — 16 with BRVO and seven with CRVO — were included in the Ozurdex (dexamethasone intravitreal implant, Allergan) group and 20 patients — 12 with BRVO and eight with CRVO — were included in the intravitreal Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) group.
At the 12-month follow-up, mean change in central macular thickness was more significant in the dexamethasone group, –89.57 µm from 462.57 µm at baseline (P ≤ .016), than in the bevacizumab group, –97.3 µm from 432.45 µm at baseline (P ≤ .021).
Mean change in best corrected visual acuity was –0.04 letters in the dexamethasone group and +9.5 letters in the bevacizumab group. The change in the bevacizumab group was statistically significant (P ≤ .001).
Disclosure: Hameed has no relevant financial disclosures.