Sir,
We read with great interest the legitimate and comprehensive guidelines on retinal vein occlusions (RVO) elaborated by Sivaprasad et al.1 However, the reference data were not updated with the available long-term results of the trials, which had dealt with the efficacy of therapy with ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA) and aflibercept (Eylea, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA) for macular edema secondary to central RVO (CRVO).2, 3, 4 Specifically, the rates of unresolved macular edema were 56% in the RETAIN study,2 65.7% in the COPERNICUS study,3 and 39.4% in the GALILEO study,4 after 51.4, 24, and 18 months of follow-up, respectively. Delayed deterioration in the outcome measures in the mentioned trials could be explained by the lower frequency of injections as well as the long duration of time from CRVO diagnosis to initiation of treatment, during which time patients went without treatment for example, an average of 6.39, 2.73, and 2.6 months in the RETAIN,2 COPERNICUS,3 and GALILEO4 trials, respectively. These facts favored the delayed occurrence of ischemic and irreversible lesions of the macular ganglion cell complex, close to the foveola, with macular edema being a minor factor.
Sivaprasad et al1 mentioned intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA) use (off-licence) for ischemic RVOs with neovascularization. Why only in these forms? In 2015, we published a prospective clinical study5 on the 3-year results of bevacizumab treatment in patients with acute (≤1 month after the occlusion was diagnosed) central/hemiCRVOs (C/HCRVOs). The results of this study showed, for the first time, evidence suggesting that early treatment applied immediately after the clinical onset of venous occlusion provided significant and sustained improvements in visual acuity and foveal thickness with inactive disease (dry retina and stable visual acuity for at least 6 months after the last injection) in most phakic patients with acute C/HCRVOs, making this treatment option a rational and viable therapeutic strategy. Bevacizumab was more effective in patients with ischemic occlusions who required a significantly higher number of injections.
In conclusion, we believe that regardless of the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents used, the response to therapy depends primarily on the precociousness of the treatment after C/HCRVO onset.
References
Sivaprasad S, Amoaku WM, Hykin P, RVO Guideline Group. The Royal College Of Ophthalmologists Guidelines on retinal vein occlusions: executive summary. Eye (Lond) 2015; 29 (12): 1633–1638.
Campochiaro PA, Sophie R, Pearlman J, Brown DM, Boyer DS, Heier JS et al. Long-term outcomes in patients with retinal vein occlusion treated with ranibizumab. The RETAIN study. Ophthalmology 2014; 121 (1): 209–219.
Heier JS, Clark WL, Boyer DS, Brown DM, Vitti R, Berliner AJ et al. Intravitreal aflibercept injection for macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion. Two-year results from the COPERNICUS study. Ophthalmology 2014; 121 (7): 1414–1420.
Ogura Y, Roider J, Korobelnik JF, HOlz FG, Simader C, Schmidt-Erfurth U et al. Intravitreal aflibercept for macular edema secondary to central retinal occlusion. 18-month results of the phase 3 GALILEO study. Am J Ophthalmol 2014; 158 (5): 1032–1038.
Călugăru D, Călugăru M . Intravitreal bevacizumab in acute central/hemicentral retinal vein occlusions: three-year results of a prospective clinical study. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2015; 31 (2): 78–86.
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The authors have no financial relationship. No organization sponsored the research. DC and MC were involved in design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
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Călugăru, D., Călugăru, M. Comment on ‘The Royal College of Ophthalmologists Guidelines on retinal vein occlusions: executive summary’. Eye 29, 1631–1632 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2015.219
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2015.219