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Multifocal intraocular lenses (MF-IOLs) are increasingly implanted as the need for good near- and intermediate-distance vision increases. Although retinal disease is known to be a relative contraindication for MF-IOL implantation, there are no detailed guidelines for MF-IOL implantation with respect to the type and severity of retinal diseases/statuses. In this study, because retinal diseases can affect the performance of MF-IOLs, we analyzed the opinions of 111 retinal specialists, who were members of the Korean Retina Society, on the implantation of diffractive MF-IOLs in eyes with 15 retinal diseases/statuses using a web-based survey. For each underlying condition, retinal specialists were asked to rate their approval regarding implantation of MF-IOLs on a scale from 1 (completely disapprove) to 7 (completely approve), under the assumption that there were no known contraindications except for a given retinal disease/status. As a result, retinal specialists disapproved MF-IOL implantation (median value of Likert score < 4) in the eyes with wet age-related macular degeneration, dry age-related macular degeneration with geographic atrophy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy with macular edema, previous macula-off retinal detachment, previous retinal vein occlusion, and epiretinal membrane, but the scores varied by disease/status. The factors that affected the specialists' opinions were the type of practice and the frequency of MF-IOL implantation (p = 0.013 and p = 0.021, respectively; one-way ANOVA).

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Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is the fourth most common retinopathy and can reduce quality of life. CSC is assessed using optical coherence tomography (OCT), but deep learning systems have not been used to classify CSC subtypes. This study aimed to build a deep learning system model to distinguish CSC subtypes using a convolutional neural network (CNN). We enrolled 435 patients with CSC from a single tertiary center between January 2015 and January 2020. Data from spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) images of the patients were analyzed using a deep CNN. Five-fold cross-validation was employed to evaluate the model's ability to discriminate acute, non-resolving, inactive, and chronic atrophic CSC. We compared the performances of the proposed model, Resnet-50, Inception-V3, and eight ophthalmologists. Overall, 3209 SD-OCT images were included. The proposed model showed an average cross-validation accuracy of 70.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.676-0.718) and the highest test accuracy was 73.5%. Additional evaluation in an independent set of 104 patients demonstrated the reliable performance of the proposed model (accuracy: 76.8%). Our model could classify CSC subtypes with high accuracy. Thus, automated deep learning systems could be useful in the classification and management of CSC.

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Evaluation of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) is important for identifying glaucomatous damage. Ultrawide-field fundus photography (UWP) imaging is increasingly used in the ophthalmological field; however, it is unknown whether it can be used for detecting RNFL defects (RNFLDs). We investigated whether RNFLD can be detected with UWP images and compared the clinical effectiveness of three types of images for detecting RNFLD: conventional red-free RNFL photography (RFP), non-mydriatic UWP and digitally converted green separation of non-mydriatic UWP (G-UWP). METHODS: Eyes with glaucoma or glaucoma suspect and normal control eyes meeting the eligibility criteria were consecutively enrolled from September 2019 to April 2020. Their conventional RFP, non-mydriatic UWP and G-UWP images were assessed for detecting RNFLD to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity for detecting RNFLD. RESULTS: Three image sets of 196 participants (84 normal control, 25 glaucoma suspect and 87 glaucoma) were obtained. The sensitivity of G-UWP (94.6%; 95% CI 88.7 to 98.0) and RFP (92.9%; 95% CI 86.4 to 96.9) was higher than that of UWP (82.1%; 95% CI 73.8 to 88.7; p<0.05). The sensitivities of G-UWP and RFP are comparable. The specificity of G-UWP (78.6%; 95% CI 68.3 to 86.8) and UWP (75.0%; 95% CI 64.4 to 83.8) was comparable, but both were lower than that of RFP (98.8%; 95% CI 93.5 to 100.0; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Non-mydriatic UWP images can be used to detect RNFLD. Non-mydriatic G-UWP showed comparable sensitivity but lower specificity to conventional RFP. Non-mydriatic G-UWP could be used as a convenient and useful diagnostic tool for screening glaucoma in clinical settings.

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PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the visual prognostic factors of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tears and describe their clinical features. METHODS: The medical records of treatment-naive neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients who received intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The incidence of RPE tears was 1.36% (10 out of 733 eyes). The type of anti-VEGF agent administered did not affect the incidence (p = 0.985). The median best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 10 patients decreased after an RPE tear (0.4-0.6 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]); however, subsequent injections restored the BCVA to a level similar to that before the RPE tear (0.4 logMAR, p = 0.436). Central macular thickness improved significantly during the study (794.4-491.9 µm, p = 0.013). The final BCVA was positively correlated with the BCVA before and immediately after the RPE tear (p = 0.025 and 0.002, respectively) and was weakly correlated with foveal involvement of the RPE tear (p = 0.061). CONCLUSION: The incidence of RPE tears did not differ according to the type of anti-VEGF agent. The final BCVA was proportional to the BCVA before and after RPE tears. Continuous treatment with anti-VEGF after the occurrence of RPE tears can benefit the final visual acuity and macular anatomy.

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This cross-sectional study aimed to build a deep learning model for detecting neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to distinguish retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) from polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) using a convolutional neural network (CNN). Patients from a single tertiary center were enrolled from January 2014 to January 2020. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images of patients with RAP or PCV and a control group were analyzed with a deep CNN. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) were used to evaluate the model's ability to distinguish RAP from PCV. The performances of the new model, the VGG-16, Resnet-50, Inception, and eight ophthalmologists were compared. A total of 3951 SD-OCT images from 314 participants (229 AMD, 85 normal controls) were analyzed. In distinguishing the PCV and RAP cases, the proposed model showed an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 89.1%, 89.4%, and 88.8%, respectively, with an AUROC of 95.3% (95% CI 0.727-0.852). The proposed model showed better diagnostic performance than VGG-16, Resnet-50, and Inception-V3 and comparable performance with the eight ophthalmologists. The novel model performed well when distinguishing between PCV and RAP. Thus, automated deep learning systems may support ophthalmologists in distinguishing RAP from PCV.

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To describe the eyes with vitreous floaters and to analyze the development of acute symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). A retrospective review of medical records was performed on patients with the vitreous floater developed for the first time of their life. Peripapillary vitreous opacity (pVO) was searched in Ultra-wide field (UWF) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and PVD stage was assessed through spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). 196 patients (55 males and 141 females), who were 58.4 (± 9.1) years old, visited a retinal clinic 9.4 (± 9.1) days after they experienced vitreous floaters. In 196 eyes, pVO was noticed in 122 eyes (62.2%) at UWF. In 106 eyes where SD-OCT data were available, PVD was noticed in 100 eyes (94.3%). Symptomatic eyes showed more advanced stage of PVD (p < 0.001) than symptom free eyes. Eyes with floaters were more myopic (- 0.7 ± 2.2D vs - 0.5 ± 1.9D, p = 0.02), and had lower intraocular pressure (IOP) (14.7 ± 3.2 mmHg vs 15.2 ± 3.0 mmHg, p = 0.02) than the other symptom free eyes. In patients with first floater symptoms, PVD was in progress in most of the eyes not only the symptomatic eyes but also on the contralateral symptom free eyes. Eyes with vitreous floaters were more myopic and had lower IOP than the opposite symptom free eyes.

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This study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with and without air tamponade in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM). We prospectively enrolled 145 patients with iERM who underwent a 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless PPV. Patients were assigned to either the air tamponade (air) group (79 eyes) or balanced salt solution (BSS; no tamponade) group (66 eyes). The central macular thickness (CMT), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were compared for two years. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the two groups. CMT and BCVA were not significantly different between the groups for 2 years. However, the air group had a significantly lower thickness in the superior temporal pRNFL sector at 1 month (p = 0.01) and in the inferior temporal and superior temporal pRNFL sectors at 3 months (p = 0.02 for both). There were no significant differences between both groups in all the pRNFL sectors from 6 months to 2 years. The outcomes of PPV with air tamponade and that with no tamponade appear to be equivalent. This shows that air tamponade may not be an imperative procedure for iERM surgery and has no additional benefit.

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The purpose is to evaluate the effects of multiple intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) and aflibercept (IVA) injections on peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This retrospective, observational, consecutive case series study enrolled patients newly diagnosed with monocular exudative AMD from January 2014 to October 2019 who were administered IVR or IVA injections. Normal fellow eyes were included as controls. Medical records and spectral domain optical coherence tomography results were reviewed at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months after injection. No statistically significant differences in peripapillary RNFL thickness and intraocular pressure were observed between the treated and fellow eyes in the two groups. The global RNFL thicknesses for the treated eyes decreased significantly after 12 months compared with baseline, but no significant difference was observed in any of the six examined sectors (temporal, superior temporal, superior nasal, nasal, inferior nasal, and inferior temporal). At 12 months, the central macular thickness of the treated eyes decreased significantly. Multiple IVR and IVA injections are apparently safe considering peripapillary RNFL damage in patients with exudative AMD. The decreased RNFL thickness of the global sector was presumably due to anatomical improvement of macular lesions.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medications on myopic retinoschisis. METHODS: The medical records of 33 patients (36 eyes) with myopic retinoschisis associated with pathologic myopia were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups: the study group comprising patients undergoing treatment with anti-glaucoma medications for suspected glaucoma; the control group comprising patients who did not use any IOP lowering medications. The changes in retinoschisis in the two groups were compared using the Spectralis domain optical coherence tomography thickness map protocol. RESULTS: The study group included 18 eyes (17 patients), and the control group included 18 eyes (16 patients). There were no significant differences between the 6-month and 12-month improvement or aggravation rates of the two groups (p = 0.513 and 0.137, respectively). However, after 18 months, the aggravation rate of retinoschisis was significantly lower in the study group (p = 0.003). The improvement / aggravation rate was 58.33% / 16.67% in the study group and 0% / 57.14% in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The use of IOP-lowering medications for more than a year may be useful for the management of retinoschisis associated with pathologic myopia.

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Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a common condition characterized by serous detachment of the neurosensory retina at the posterior pole. We built a deep learning system model to diagnose CSC, and distinguish chronic from acute CSC using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images. Data from SD-OCT images of patients with CSC and a control group were analyzed with a convolutional neural network. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) were used to evaluate the model. For CSC diagnosis, our model showed an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 93.8%, 90.0%, and 99.1%, respectively; AUROC was 98.9% (95% CI, 0.983-0.995); and its diagnostic performance was comparable with VGG-16, Resnet-50, and the diagnoses of five different ophthalmologists. For distinguishing chronic from acute cases, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 97.6%, 100.0%, and 92.6%, respectively; AUROC was 99.4% (95% CI, 0.985-1.000); performance was better than VGG-16 and Resnet-50, and was as good as the ophthalmologists. Our model performed well when diagnosing CSC and yielded highly accurate results when distinguishing between acute and chronic cases. Thus, automated deep learning system algorithms could play a role independent of human experts in the diagnosis of CSC.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the short-term ophthalmic side effects of bilateral same-day intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients who received intravitreal bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept injections in both eyes on the same day between January 2014 and June 2019. The patients were followed up for 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after the injections. RESULTS: A total of 323 patients (646 eyes) received 1418 bilateral same-day intravitreal anti-VEGF injections. The patients' mean age was 62.47 ± 13.97 years. The most common cause of bilateral injection was age-related macular degeneration (54.80%), followed by complications due to diabetic retinopathy (35.33%), retinal vein occlusion (2.40%), and central serious chorioretinopathy (1.27%). There were 22 cases of subconjunctival hemorrhage, 17 cases of temporary elevation of intraocular pressure, and no case of endophthalmitis. Twenty-one patients showed acute intraocular inflammation after the bilateral injection. All patients showed complete improvement within 2 weeks after the injection. CONCLUSION: Bilateral same-day intravitreal anti-VEGF injection is a well-tolerated procedure on short-term follow-up. It is one of the more convenient approaches for both the patient and ophthalmologist.

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PURPOSE: To analyze the correlation between preoperative measurements of macular microstructures and aniseikonia after epiretinal membrane removal. METHODS: This retrospective study included 32 eyes of 32 patients who underwent epiretinal membrane surgery and were followed up for 12 months. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography was used to measure the thicknesses of the ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer, inner nuclear layer (INL), and outer retinal layer in macular microstructures. The new aniseikonia test was used to measure vertical and horizontal aniseikonia scores. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in central macular thickness and ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer thickness at 6 and 12 months postoperatively (all P < 0.001). Vertical aniseikonia scores, horizontal aniseikonia scores, and INL and outer retinal layer thicknesses did not show significant changes. Vertical aniseikonia scores and horizontal aniseikonia scores were significantly associated with INL thicknesses of each meridian at each follow-up time point (all P < 0.05). Preoperative vertical and horizontal INL thicknesses were correlated with vertical aniseikonia scores and horizontal aniseikonia scores at 12 months postoperatively (P = 0.014 and P = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Aniseikonia values did not change after epiretinal membrane removal and were associated with INL thickness before and after surgery. Thus, preoperative INL thickness could be used as a predictor of surgical prognosis in epiretinal membrane patients.

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PURPOSE: To determine the origin of epiretinal proliferation (EP), a condition that is occasionally observed in lamellar hole and macular hole cases, and EP outcomes after vitrectomy. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational case review of 17 eyes with EP that underwent vitrectomy, EP dissection, and internal limiting membrane peeling between January 2013 and December 2016. Surgical specimens of EP tissue were successfully obtained from 5 cases and they were analyzed after immunohistochemical staining. Postoperative outcomes, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and macular configuration in spectral domain-optical coherence tomography, were reviewed. RESULTS: Mean BCVA improved from 0.54 ± 0.36 logarithms of the minimum angle of resolution preoperatively to 0.32 ± 0.38 logarithms of the minimum angle of resolution postoperatively (p = 0.002). BCVA improved in 13 eyes and remained unchanged in four eyes. No cases experienced vision decline after surgery. All 17 patients' lamellar hole or macular hole were successfully closed. Despite hole closure, ellipsoid zone defects were not corrected in 11 of the 17 patients. In immunohistochemical analyses, anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein and pan-keratin (AE1/AE3) were positive, but synaptophysin, anti-α-smooth muscle actin, and anti-CD68 were negative. CONCLUSIONS: The epiretinal proliferative membrane seems to originate from Müller cells, not from the vitreous. It is unclear whether retinal pigment epithelia also contribute to EP formation. Gentle handling and preservation of the epiretinal proliferative tissue is crucial for successful surgical outcomes.

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PURPOSE: To discuss the unique morphology and origin of epiretinal proliferation associated with macular hole (EPMH) occasionally observed in full-thickness macular hole (FT-MH) or lamellar hole (LH) and to introduce the perifoveal crown phenomenon encountered when removing this unusual proliferative tissue. METHODS: Sixteen patients showing EPMH in spectral domain-optical coherence tomography were selected from 212 patients diagnosed with MH, LH, FT-MH, impending MH, macular pseudohole, or epiretinal membrane between January 2013 and December 2014. Of the 212 patients included for clinical analysis, 33, 23, 11, 7, and 190 exhibited LH, FT-MH, impending MH, macular pseudohole, and epiretinal membrane, respectively. We reviewed visual acuity, macular morphology, and clinical course. Surgical specimens were analyzed histologically. RESULTS: EPMH presented as an amorphous proliferation starting from the defective inner/outer segment (IS/OS) junction covering the inner macula surface. Among the 16 patients with EPMH, 11 underwent vitrectomy, and all exhibited the intraoperative perifoveal crown phenomenon. EPMH tissue was sampled in three patients, one of whom had more tissue removed than intended and showed delayed recovery in visual acuity. Despite hole closure, IS/OS junction integrity was not successfully restored in four of 11 patients. Five patients were followed-up without surgical intervention. Visual acuity slightly decreased in three patients and did not change in one patient, while the remaining patient was lost during follow-up. Among the three perifoveal crown tissues obtained, two were successfully analyzed histologically. Neither tissue showed positivity to synaptophysin or S-100 protein, but one showed positivity to cytokeratin protein immunohistochemical staining. CONCLUSIONS: EPMH exhibited a distinct but common configuration in spectral domain-optical coherence tomography. An epithelial proliferation origin is plausible based on its configuration and histological analysis. Perifoveal crown phenomenon was observed when removing EPMH during vitrectomy.

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PURPOSE: To analyze the morphologic evolution of idiopathic lamellar macular holes (LMHs) as determined by spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and evaluate the utility of retinal function assessments through multifocal electroretinography for predicting the likelihood of morphologic deterioration in LMHs. METHODS: Twenty-eight eyes of 28 patients with LMHs were examined by spectral domain optical coherence tomography at the initial visit and after 12 months. Lamellar macular holes were subdivided into morphologic deterioration (DET) and morphologic maintenance (MAI) groups based on the change in central retinal thickness during the follow-up period. Patients with LMHs were also examined by multifocal electroretinography at the initial visit. Multifocal electroretinography amplitudes were compared between DET and MAI groups, and discriminant function was calculated to predict morphologic deterioration in LMH eyes. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, morphologic deterioration was found in 8 (28.6%) of LMH cases. On multifocal electroretinography, amplitudes in the central ring (R1) and first paracentral ring (R2) were significantly lower in the DET than in the MAI group. Discriminant analysis performed on these two variables yielded a discriminant function with 75% of cases classified correctly. CONCLUSION: Multifocal electroretinography is a useful tool for predicting morphologic deterioration of LMHs. Lower multifocal electroretinography amplitudes in R1 and R2 predict an increased risk of subsequent deterioration.

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PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between aniseikonia scores in the vertical and horizontal meridians and the foveal microstructure on vertical and horizontal spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). METHODS: All patients (n = 65) with unilateral ERM were examined, and the aniseikonia scores in the vertical (VAS) and horizontal (HAS) meridians were determined using the New Aniseikonia Test. Vertical and horizontal images passing through the fovea were obtained by axial SD-OCT in both eyes. The thicknesses of the ganglion cell layer + inner plexiform layer, inner nuclear layer (INL), and outer retinal layer were measured on the SD-OCT images, and color histograms were analyzed using Photoshop software. RESULTS: Of the 65 ERM patients, 81.5% (53 patients) had macropsia. The VAS and HAS were equal in 52.8% (28 patients). Multiple regression analysis revealed significant correlations between the VAS and vertical INL thickness (R = 0.388, P = 0.001) and between the HAS and horizontal INL thickness (R = 0.349, P = 0.001). The difference between VAS and HAS was proportional to the ratio of the vertical INL thickness to horizontal INL thicknesses (R = 0.370, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Eyes with ERM mostly presented macropsia. The aniseikonia scores in the vertical and horizontal meridians correlate well with INL thickness on the vertical and horizontal directions of SD-OCT images, respectively. Aniseikonia induced by ERM may be related to the INL thickening detected with SD-OCT.

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PURPOSE: To develop a novel, simplified method for correcting the ischemic index of nonperfused areas in diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 103 eyes with naive DR that underwent ultra-widefield angiography (UWFA) over a year. UWFAs were graded according to the quantity of retinal non-perfusion, and uncorrected ischemic index (UII) and corrected ischemic index (CII) were calculated using a simplified, novel method. RESULTS: The average differences between UII and CII in the non-proliferative DR group and the proliferative DR group were 0.7 ± 0.9% in the <25% CII group, 3.0 ± 0.9% in the 25% to 49.9% CII group, and 3.6 ± 0.6% in the >50% CII group, respectively. A CII >25% was critical for determining DR progression (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Distortion created by UWFA needs to be corrected because the difference between UII and CII in DR increases with the ischemic index.

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PURPOSE: To assess optical quality and intraocular scattering using the Optical Quality Analysis System (OQAS) in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and to determine the effects of retinal changes on optical quality. METHODS: This was a prospective, case-control study. Participants were 29 patients with diagnosis of CSC. The control group consisted of the patients' unaffected eyes. Initial logMAR visual acuity, central macular thickness (by spectral domain optical coherence tomography), and optical quality parameters including modulation transfer function (MTF) cutoff frequency, Strehl (2-dimensional) ratio, and OQAS values at 100%, 20%, and 9% contrast levels were investigated. Objective scattering index (OSI) at 4.0-mm pupil size was assessed in both eyes by using the OQAS. After 3 months of treatment, which included observation and focal laser or injections of antivascular endothelial growth factor, every CSC-affected eye was followed. Main outcome measures were differences between clinical parameters of the CSC-affected eye and those of the control eye and changes in those parameters according to the clinical course of CSC over 3 months. RESULTS: In CSC-affected eyes, the MTF cutoff was significantly reduced (P = 0.01), and OSI was significantly increased (P = 0.03). As macular thickness decreased, OSI decreased but did not become normalized compared to the control eye, nor was it statistically significantly correlated with central macular thickness change. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal change affected optical quality and intraocular scatter. Therefore, when the severity of a cataract is assessed using the OQAS, retinal status should be considered when interpreting OQAS values.

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PURPOSE: To determine if short term effects of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or steroid injection are correlated with fluid turbidity, as detected by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in diabetic macular edema (DME) patients. METHODS: A total of 583 medical records were reviewed and 104 cases were enrolled. Sixty eyes received a single intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB) on the first attack of DME and 44 eyes received triamcinolone acetonide treatment (IVTA). Intraretinal fluid turbidity in DME patients was estimated with initial intravitreal SD-OCT and analyzed with color histograms from a Photoshop program. Central macular thickness and visual acuity using a logarithm from the minimum angle of resolution chart, were assessed at the initial period and 2 months after injections. RESULTS: Visual acuity and central macular thickness improved after injections in both groups. In the IVB group, visual acuity and central macular thickness changed less as the intraretinal fluid became more turbid. In the IVTA group, visual acuity underwent less change while central macular thickness had a greater reduction (r = -0.675, p = 0.001) as the intraretinal fluid was more turbid. CONCLUSIONS: IVB and IVTA injections were effective in reducing central macular thickness and improving visual acuity in DME patients. Further, fluid turbidity, which was detected by SD-OCT may be one of the indexes that highlight the influence of the steroid-dependent pathogenetic mechanism.

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PURPOSE: To compare the long-term efficacy and safety of intravitreal triamcinolon with or without rescue laser therapy (intravitreal triamcinolone injection [IVTA] group), bevacizumab with or without rescue laser treatment (intravitreal bevacizumab injection [IVB] group), or a combination of both with or without rescue laser therapy (IVTA + IVB group), with standard care for patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 151 patients treated with intravitreal injection with or without rescue laser for treatment of macular edema caused by BRVO, and who were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. During the observation period, rescue grid laser or repeated intravitreal injection with initial drug was performed if recurrence of macular edema was confirmed. Visual acuity, change in visual acuity, and intraocular pressure were compared in each phase. RESULTS: Totals of 16%, 5.6%, and 0% of participants in the three groups showed significant visual loss of more than three lines of the Snellen chart at last follow-up. The IVTA group was the least effective treatment modality, with statistical significance. The development rates of elevated intraocular pressure were similar among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although IVTA yielded effects similar to those of standard grid photocoagulation based on the Standard Care vs Corticosteroid for Retinal Vein Occlusion study, IVB or IVTA + IVB with or without rescue laser treatment resulted in improvement in visual acuity at 24 months after the start of treatment and was associated with few serious adverse side effects. Thus, these approaches could be useful for treating macular edema arising secondary to BRVO.

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