Treatment of systemic hypertension is important for improvement of macular edema associated with retinal vein occlusion

Hypertension as a risk factor for retinal vein occlusion in menopausal women: A nationwide Korean population-based study

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is an important cause of blindness. Hypertension is a well-known risk factor for RVO. Although the prevalence of hypertension increases in women after menopause, the relationship between blood pressure and RVO in women before and after menopause has not been studied in detail.We retrospectively analyzed 2,619,206 patients from the Korean National Health Insurance System database. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the independent association between blood pressure and the risk of RVO development and identify differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal women.The incidence of RVO was higher among postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. In the model adjusted for socioeconomic and clinical variables, there was an association between blood pressure and RVO development in premenopausal and postmenopausal women; however, this was stronger than premenopausal women.Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of RVO, and their effects are more potent in premenopausal women than postmenopausal women. Thus, comprehensive management of hypertension in premenopausal women is essential to reduce the risk of RVO.

Non-dipping pattern of nocturnal blood pressure as a risk factor for macular ischemia in branch retinal vein occlusion

Branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) is ocular vascular disease affecting approximately 14 million people worldwide, and is closely associated with high blood pressure (BP). Although macular ischemia is a critical factor in the visual prognosis of BRVO, the relationship between macular ischemia and different patterns of nocturnal BP is unknown. Here, we investigated whether a dipping pattern of nocturnal BP is associated with the development of macular ischemia in patients with BRVO. A total of 273 patients were reviewed; of these, 86 (86 eyes) patients were included. All recruited patients had a macular thickness map by optical coherence tomography and underwent 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring. According to their dipping patterns, the participants were divided into dipper and non-dipper groups. The non-dipper group had worse visual outcomes at the initial and 6-month visits (P = 0.014 and P = 0.003, respectively). Five of 32 eyes (15.6%) in the dipper group and 32 of 54 (59.3%) in the non-dipper group had macular ischemia. In a multivariate analysis, the night-to-day systolic BP ratio was associated with the degree of macular ischemia (β = − 0.313, P = 0.004). Thus, a non-dipping pattern may be a risk factor for macular ischemia in patients with BRVO.

Retinal venous pressure is decreased after anti-VEGF therapy in patients with retinal vein occlusion-related macular edema

Purpose

The pathomechanism leading to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is unclear. Mechanical compression, thrombosis, and functional contractions of veins are discussed as the reasons for the increased resistance of venous outflow. We evaluated changes in the retinal venous pressure (RVP) following intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent to determine the effect on RVO-related macular edema.

Methods

Twenty-six patients with RVO-related macular edema (16 branch RVOs [BRVOs] and 10 central RVOs [CRVOs], age 72.5 ± 8.8 years) who visited our hospital were included in this prospective study. Visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), central retinal thickness (CRT) determined by macular optical coherence tomography, and RVP measured using an ophthalmodynamometer were obtained before intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (IVR) and 1 month later.

Results

Comparison of the BRVOs and CRVOs showed that VA was significantly improved by a single injection in BRVOs (P < 0.0001; P = 0.1087 for CRVOs), but CRT and RVP were significantly decreased without significant difference in IOP after the treatment in both groups (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The anti-VEGF treatment resulted in a significant decrease in the RVP, but the RVP remained significantly higher than the IOP. An increased RVP plays a decisive role in the formation of macula edema, and reducing it is desirable.

The incidence and management of persistent cystoid macular oedema following uncomplicated cataract surgery-a Scottish Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit study

Purpose

Post-operative cystoid macular oedema (CMO) can cause deterioration of vision following routine cataract surgery. The incidence of persistent CMO (pCMO; defined as CMO present after 3 months) following uncomplicated surgery is uncertain. We wished to identify the incidence, management and visual outcomes of such patients.

Methods

A Scottish Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit (SOSU) questionnaire was sent monthly to every ophthalmic specialist in Scotland over an 18-month period from 1st January 2018 asking them to report all new patients with pCMO confirmed on OCT scanning following uncomplicated cataract surgery. A follow-up questionnaire was sent 9 months after initial presentation.

Results

Fourteen cases of pCMO were reported, giving an incidence of 2.2 cases of pCMO per 10,000 uncomplicated cataract surgeries. Mean age was 74.9 years (SD 10.2; range 44–86) with a male preponderance (72.7%). Two patients developed pCMO in each eye. Six cases (46.2%) had hypertension and one had diabetes. Three eyes required intracameral adjuncts (two iris hooks, one intracameral phenylephrine). Postoperative visual acuity (VA) at 3 months was logMAR 0.48 (0.2–0.8). Average mean central retinal thickness (CRT) at 3 months was 497microns (270–788). The most common initial treatment comprised topical steroids and topical NSAIDs (61.5%). Other management strategies included systemic steroids, intravitreal steroids and oral acetazolamide. At 1-year post-op, mean VA was logMAR 0.18 (0.1–0.3) with average mean CRT of 327microns (245–488).

Conclusions

We identified a low incidence of pCMO following uncomplicated cataract surgery in Scotland (0.02%), with inconsistent and variable management regimes. A nationally agreed treatment protocol is required.

Correlation between macular vessel density and number of intravitreal anti-VEGF agents for macular edema associated with branch retinal vein occlusion

We evaluated whether the reduction of macular vessel density was correlated with the number of intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents in eyes with a branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). The mean vessel density was determined by optical coherence tomography angiography in 29 eyes with macular edema associated with a BRVO. Our results showed that the mean vessel density in the group that had a resolution of the macular edema after one anti-VEGF injection was significantly higher than group that had a recurrence of the macular edema (P = 0.028). Single regression analysis showed that the number of intravitreal injections was significantly correlated with the reduction of the modified vessel density (r = −0.421, P = 0.023) and systemic hypertension (r = 0.377, P = 0.044). Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the reduction of the modified vessel density (β = −0.442, P = 0.009) and hypertension (β = 0.403, P = 0.016) were independent factors associated with the number of intravitreal injections. We conclude that the vessel density reduction can be used to predict whether recurrences of the macular edema will develop after the initial anti-VEGF injection in eyes with macular edema associated with a BRVO.

Mystery of Retinal Vein Occlusion: Vasoactivity of the Vein and Possible Involvement of Endothelin-1

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a common vascular disease of retina; however, the pathomechanism leading to RVO is not yet clear. In general, increasing age, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disorder, and cerebral stroke are systemic risk factors of RVO. However, RVO often occur in the unilateral eye and sometimes develop in young subjects who have no arteriosclerosis. In addition, RVO show different variations on the degrees of severity; some RVO are resolved without any treatment and others develop vision-threatening complications such as macular edema, combined retinal artery occlusion, vitreous hemorrhage, and glaucoma. Clinical conditions leading to RVO are still open to question. In this review, we discuss how to treat RVO in practice by presenting some RVO cases. We also deliver possible pathomechanisms of RVO through our clinical experience and animal experiments.