Correlation of retinal thickness, macular volume, and their fluctuation with visual outcomes in patients with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine the utility of macular volume (MV), central retinal thickness (CRT), and their fluctuations for predicting post-treatment visual acuity in patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy for ME due to RVO at a tertiary university hospital between August 2016 and July 2020. We identify the correlation of the MV, CRT, with their fluctuations, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measured using optical coherence tomography at baseline and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-treatment.

RESULTS

Among the 74 eyes included, 27 and 47 had central RVO (CRVO) and branch RVO (BRVO), respectively. Following anti-VEGF therapy both, the CRVO and BRVO group exhibited significant improvements in BCVA, CRT, and MV compared to baseline. In all patients, MV was consistently correlated with BCVA, whereas CRT was correlated with BCVA at selected time points. In patients with CRVO, MV was a better predictor of post-treatment visual outcomes than CRT. Moreover, fluctuations in CRT and MV correlated with BCVA over 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

MV yielded more correlation with visual outcomes in patients with RVO and ME receiving anti-VEGF therapy than CRT. Considering concurrent MV and CRT measurements could enhance more precision of treatment assessment, especially in CRVO patients.