Intravitreal ranibizumab improves macular sensitivity in patients with central retinal vein occlusion and macula edema

Background Patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and macular edema often are treated by intravitreal ranibizumab injection (IRI). The role of changes in macular sensitivity in the positive effects of IRI on visual functions is unclear. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between macular sensitivity and improvement of visual functions. Methods We included 15 eyes of 15 patients with treatment-naive CRVO and followed patients for 6 months after pro re nata IRI. IRI was repeated if the central macular thickness was greater than or equal to 300 mu m. Microperimetry-3 was used to measure macular sensitivity within the central 1-mm, 3-mm, and 6-mm fields before and monthly for 6 months after IRI. Results IRI significantly improved mean macular sensitivity over time within the central 1-mm, 3-mm, and 6-mm fields (all P < 0.001). None of the fields showed significant differences in the change of mean macular sensitivity between patients with little improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA; i.e., in patients with a change in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR] BCVA < 0.3) and those with marked improvement in BCVA (change in logMAR BCVA > 0.3). The mean macular sensitivity before IRI showed correlations with the improvement of macular sensitivity in every field. Conclusion These findings suggest that IRI improves macular sensitivity in patients with CRVO and macular edema independent of any improvement in BCVA and that macular sensitivity before treatment is associated with improvement of macular sensitivity after treatment.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the effect of IRI on macular sensitivity in patients with CRVO and macular edema, and found that IRI significantly improved macular sensitivity. Furthermore, the study also found a correlation between pre-treatment macular sensitivity and improvement after treatment.