Effect of vitreomacular adhesion on antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) and the visual and anatomic outcomes of antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy for macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS: This study included 107 eyes of 107 patients with BRVO who underwent intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab. The presence of VMA was determined with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). All eyes underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) measurements using SD-OCT immediately before the injection and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the injection. The main outcome measures were changes in BCVA and CRT from baseline. RESULTS: The VMA(+) and VMA(-) groups consisted of 47 and 60 eyes, respectively, and patients' age differed significantly between the groups (P < 0.001). In both groups, BCVA and CRT improved after the injection. The VMA(+) group showed better improvement in BCVA than did the VMA(-) group (P = 0.0150), and the presence of VMA was associated with a greater decrease in CRT after adjusting for age (P = 0.0019). CONCLUSIONS: Presence of VMA may be associated with superior visual and anatomic outcome for intravitreal bevacizumab in the treatment of macular edema due to BRVO.