Twenty-Four-Month Results of Intravitreal Bevacizumab in Macular Edema Secondary to Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in macular edema (ME) due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in a real clinical practice setting at a tertiary referral center. Methods: A retrospective analysis of a final total number of 35 eyes of 35 patients with a 24-month follow-up was performed. Results: At 24 months, mean best-corrected visual acuity improved by 0.09 LogMAR units from baseline (95% CI: -0.03-0.24, p=0.0674). The mean CFT decreased by 75 microns (95% CI: 27-123, p=0.0026). The median number of injections was 6 (IQR: 3-9). Macular edema showed complete resolution in 12 eyes (34.3%), responded partially in six eyes (17%), recurred in eight eyes (23%), and remained persistent in nine eyes (25.7%, three eyes at six months, one eye at 12 months, three eyes at 18 months and two eyes at 24 months). Conclusion: Our study shows that treatment with IVB in patients with ME due to BRVO during a period of 24 months provided complete resolution of the ME in more than one-third of patients. In one-third of the cases, ME resolved partially or recurred and in less than one-third of patients ME remained persistent. Visual acuity increased significantly in 23% of patients and remained stable in the majority of patients. However, a median number of six injections was necessary to maintain a lasting beneficial effect. Further long-term prospective studies are required comparing intravitreal bevacizumab with other treatment modalities.