Efficacy and Safety of Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis in Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

PURPOSE. To investigate the efficacy and safety of intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT) for acute central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). METHODS. Records from 101 CRAO patients treated with either IAT (n = 57) or standard treatment (ST; n = 44) were retrospectively reviewed. ST consisted of ocular massage and intraocular pressure-lowering agents. We used fundoscopic and angiographic findings to categorize CRAO as incomplete (diminished visual acuity [VA] with slight retinal edema, slight cherry-red spot), subtotal (severe VA reduction, cherry-red spot, distinct retinal edema), or total (massive edema, occluded perimacular arterioles, additional choroidal blood flow interruption). One-month and final best-corrected VA (BCVA) of the IAT group were compared with those of the ST group. Early (<= 3-day) and final (1-month) reperfusion (improvement of retinal perfusion) rates were compared between groups. Subgroup analyses were performed according to CRAO stage. RESULTS. Overall, VA did not significantly differ between groups, but early reperfusion was greater in the IAT group (74.1% vs. 42.9%, P = 0.005). In incomplete CRAO, the IAT group exhibited greater visual improvement after 1 month (1.08 +/- 0.21 vs. 0.23 +/- 0.26 logarithmic values of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR], P < 0.001) and at the final visit (1.08 +/- 0.53 vs. 0.08 +/- 0.57 logMAR, P < 0.001). However, in subtotal and total CRAO, no significant differences in visual outcomes were observed between groups. IAT resulted in clinically insignificant cerebral infarcts, detectable on brain imaging, in 8% of patients. Hemorrhagic transformation was not noted. CONCLUSIONS. The IAT treatment may provide early restoration of retinal perfusion and offer functional benefits in the management of incomplete CRAO.