Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness Changes after Intravitreal Bevacizumab in Macular Edema Secondary to Retinal Vein Occlusion

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab in eyes with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). METHODS: Forty-four patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for unilateral macular edema due to RVO were retrospectively reviewed. Before injection, patients underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) assessment, dilated fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography. Changes in BCVA, SCT, and central macular thickness (CMT) of the RVO eyes were evaluated and compared with those of the normal contralateral eyes at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months after injection. RESULTS: The mean SCT in RVO eyes (265.41 ± 43.02 µm) was significantly thicker than that in the fellow eyes (244.77 ± 30.35 µm) at baseline (p < 0.001). The mean SCT was significantly reduced at 1, 3, and 6 months after intravitreal bevacizumab injection (all p < 0.001), and the change in SCT was significantly correlated with the change in CMT (r = 0.327, p = 0.030). While there was an improvement in BCVA together with a reduction in SCT (p < 0.001), no significant correlation was found (p = 0.126). CONCLUSIONS: Subfoveal choroidal thickness in RVO eyes with macular edema was greater than that in the normal fellow eyes, and decreased significantly after intravitreal bevacizumab injection. The SCT reduction was significantly correlated with CMT reduction.