COMPARISON OF INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB AND TRIAMCINOLONE ACETONIDE WITH INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB ALONE IN MACULAR EDEMA SECONDARY TO CENTRAL RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of intravitreal-bevacizumab (IVB) and intravitreal-triamcinolone (IVT) with IVB alone on visual acuity (VA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) in patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted from June 2018 to December 2018 on patients with ME secondary to CRVO, admitted at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan. Out of thirty patients included in this study, fifteen were included in Group-A (received combination therapy IVT and IVB) and 15 in Group-B (received IVB alone). The subjects were followed up at 3 and 6 month post-treatment and changes in VA rd th (logMAR) and CFT were recorded at each visit. The comparative analyses of variables were carried out with-in the groups and between the groups. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 60.93 +/- 4.38 years (group-A) and 60.73 +/- 3.67 years (group-B). Mean VA at baseline & 6 month was 0.87 +/- 0.09 & th 0.32 +/- 0.06 in group-A as compared to 0.88 +/- 0.10 to 0.44 +/- 0.06 LogMAR units in group-B respectively (p<0.001). Mean CFT at baseline & 6th month was 673.67 +/- 38.33 & 264.4 +/- 16.73 in group-A as compared to 674.07 +/- 36.32 & 271.01 +/- 20.14 im in group-B respectively (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in CFT between the two groups at 3 month (p=0.84) and 6 month rd th (p<0.33) post-treatment, although it was statistically significant when compared within the groups. CONCLUSION: Combined treatment is more effective than IVB alone in improving VA in CRVO related ME. However, the effect of combined treatment on CVT is not superior to IVB alone.