2Prof. Dr., Okmeydanı Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Göz Kliniği, İstanbul, Türkiye Purpose: To compare the effi cacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) and intravitreal afl ibercept (IVA) injections in patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO)
Materials and Methods: 50 eyes of 50 patients with ME due to CRVO were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment they received: IVA group and IVR group. Both groups were treated with three monthly injections followedup in PRN regimen. At baseline and after every injection best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), anatomical findings, edema types, intraocular pressure changes were noted from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images and patients? files.
Results: 25 eyes of 25 patients were studied in both groups. The groups were similar in terms of baseline characteristics (p>0,05). The changes in BCVA and CMT were statistically signifi cant within both groups during the 6-month follow-up (p<0,001 and p<0,001 respectively). When the two groups were compared, there was not a statically significant difference in terms of visual gain (p=0,057). In terms of anatomical gain, IVA group was better at first month (p=0,016), but similar at the final 6th month visit (p=0,312).
Conclusion: Both intravitreal ranibizumab and intravitreal aflibercept injections were found to be effective for visual and anatomical gain in macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion. Aflibercept provided faster anatomical recovery. There is no difference between two drugs in terms of visual gain, anatomical success and side effects at the end of the six months.
Keywords : Aflibercept, Central retinal vein occlusion, Edema types, macular edema, Ranibizumab