Intravitreal dexamethasone implant versus anti-VEGF injection for treatment-na < ve patients with retinal vein occlusion and macular edema: a 12-month follow-up study

{The objective of his study was to compare the visual and anatomical outcomes in treatment-na < ve patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion after intravitreal injections of dexamethasone implants (DEX) and anti-VEGF. One hundred two patients (64 in the anti-VEGF group, 38 in the DEX group) without previous treatment were included in this multi-center retrospective study and evaluated at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the onset of treatment. Patients were defined as ``good responders'' if central macular thickness (CMT) was less than or equal to 250 mu m in TD-OCT or 300 mu m in SD-OCT after the injections. At month 3 (n = 102), BCVA had increased significantly, by 0.1 +/- 0.3 logMAR in the anti-VEGF group (p = 0.04) and 0.4 +/- 0.4 logMAR in the DEX group (p < 0.001); the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.007). CMT decreased significantly, by 138 +/- 201 mu m (-19 %, p < 0.001) in the anti-VEGF group and 163 +/- 243 mu m (-21 %, p < 0.001) in the DEX group. After 3 months, five patients (13 %) in the DEX group and 20 (31 %) in the anti-VEGF group (p < 0.001) changed treatment. Among the 77 patients who did not switch from their initial treatment, no significant functional or anatomical difference between the two groups was observed at months 6 and 12. Elevation of intraocular pressure > 21 mmHg was more frequent in the DEX group (21 %) than in the anti-VEGF group (3 %