Clinical Ophthalmology (Jul 2018)

Comparison between intravitreal bevacizumab and posterior sub-tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide in macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion

  • Tsai MJ,
  • Hsieh YT,
  • Peng YJ

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 12
pp. 1229 – 1235

Abstract

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Meng-Ju Tsai,1 Yi-Ting Hsieh,1,2 Yi-Jie Peng1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety between posterior sub-tenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (PSTA) and intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) (IVIA) in the treatment of macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion. Patients and methods: A total of 45 eyes were retrospectively enrolled (23 eyes with intravitreal bevacizumab and 22 eyes with posterior sub-tenon triamcinolone acetonide). Main endpoints included logMAR of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and intraocular pressure (IOP) before and after treatment at 6 months. Results: The mean logMAR improved from 0.78 to 0.56 at 6 months for intravitreal bevacizumab (p=0.001), and from 0.91 to 0.79 and 0.87 at 3 and 6 months (p=0.038 and 0.13), respectively, for sub-tenon triamcinolone acetonide. At 6 months, the BCVA was significantly better in the bevacizumab group (p=0.02). Both groups’ mean CMT significantly improved, from 478 µm at baseline to 295 µm at 6 months in IVIA group (p<0.001) and from 419 µm at baseline to 350 µm in PSTA group (p=0.012); however, this was not different between the groups at 6 months (p=0.065). Recurrence of macular edema was not different between the groups either (p=0.08). Poorer final vision was associated with poorer baseline BCVA and diagnosis of central retinal vein occlusion after adjustment for age and sex (p<0.001 and 0.012, respectively). Significant elevation of IOP was noted at 3 months in the PSTA group, but declined at 6 months compared with baseline (p=0.002 and 0.41, respectively). Conclusion: Intravitreal bevacizumab seemed to achieve better visual acuity compared with posterior sub-tenon injections of triamcinolone acetonide at 6 months, while CMT was comparable. PSTA still resulted in transient IOP elevation. Keywords: sub-tenon injections, macular edema, retinal vein occlusion, bevacizumab, triamcinolone acetonide

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