Comparison of intravitreal bevacizumab responses in different morphologies of macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion: Short-term results

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to compare the results of intravitreal bevacizumab in patients with macular edema (ME) due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) according to different ME morphologies.
METHODS: In this retrospective study, 24, 13, and 22 patients with ME type due BRVO were included in the serous reti-nal detachment group, cystoid ME group, and diffuse ME group, respectively. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was evaluated with an ETDRS chart, and central macular thickness (CMT) was evaluated by spectral domain optical coherence tomography at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months.
RESULTS: The mean ages of the patients were 64.25±7.80, 64.84±7.96, and 61.81±6.67 years in the serous, cystoid, and diffuse groups, respectively (p=0.414). While no significant difference was observed in the serous group in terms of BCVA and CMT at the 1st month after injection compared with that in the cystoid group (p=0.201 and p=0.986), BCVA and CMT values at the 2nd and 3rd months were statistically different (p=0.021, p=0.003, p=0.015, and p=0.006, respectively). When the serous group and the diffuse group were compared, only a significant difference was found in CMT at the 2nd month (p=0.016).
CONCLUSION: Intravitreal bevacizumab treatment was more effective in terms of anatomical and visual results in the serous group compared with that in the cystoid group; however, at the end of the 3rd month, it showed similar results with the diffuse group.