Glaucoma patients at increased risk for retinal vein occlusion
Eyes with pseudoexfoliation (PXF) glaucoma and other types of glaucoma have a two-to-three-fold higher risk of retinal vein occlusions (RVOs), mainly central RVO, compared to the general population, a retrospective cohort study suggests. The authors of the study reviewed the records of 300 PXF glaucoma patients, 300 non-PXF glaucoma patients and 599 non-glaucoma non-PXF patients. Multivariate analysis resulted in a significant probability for RVO in the PXF (p=0.005; OR 2.29) and non-PXF glaucoma groups (p=0.005; OR 3.03) compared to the controls. However, after matching and excluding neovascular glaucoma, PXF was not found to be an independent risk factor for RVO in eyes with glaucoma.
G Antman et al, “The Incidence of Retinal Vein Occlusion in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study”, Ophthalmologica 2019, Volume 241. Issue 2.
RVO affects 16 million worldwide
Pooled data from population studies from the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia suggests that approximately 16 million people worldwide have retinal vein occlusions. An analyses of 11 studies involving 49,869 patients showed that the prevalence was 5.20 per 1,000 for any RVO, 4.42 per 1,000 for branch RVO and 0.80 per 1,000 for central RVO. Prevalence increased with age and varied by race/ethnicity, but not by gender. The age- and sex-standardised prevalence of any RVO was 3.7 per 1,000 in Caucasians, 3.9 per 1,000 in blacks, 5.7 per 1,000 in Asians and 6.9 per 1,000 in Hispanics.
S Rogers et al, “The Prevalence of Retinal Vein Occlusion: Pooled Data from Population Studies from the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia Ophthalmologica 2019”, Volume 241. Issue 2.
Dexamethasone implant decreases anti-VEGF injections required for DME treatment
The findings of an observational retrospective study indicate that preceding intravitreal aflibercept with the injection of a dexamethasone implant can reduce the subsequent need for anti-VEGF injections in eyes with diabetic macular oedema (DME). The study involved 30 treatment-naïve DME patients; 15 received five monthly injections of aflibercept, followed by injections every two months. The remaining 15 received a single dexamethasone implant followed by bimonthly aflibercept. The differences between the two groups, in terms of visual gain and decreased macular thickness, were not statistically significant (p>0.05).
L Hernández-Bel et al, “Sequential Dexamethasone and Aflibercept Treatment in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema: Structural and Functional Outcomes at 52 Weeks”, Ophthalmologica 2019, Volume 241, Issue 2.
