BIODEGRADABLE DEXAMETHASONE IMPLANT IN THE TREATMENT OF RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSIONS

In the contemporary world, there is an epidemic increase in acquired vascular diseases of the eye. Retinal vein occlusion leads not only to a decrease in visual acuity, but also to a development of complications such as recurrent intravitreal hemorrhages, traction retinal detachment, secondary neovascular glaucoma, resulting is the disability of patients, that leading to the loss of professional suitability in persons of working age. Purpose. To study an efficacy and safety of intravitreal Ozurdex injection within 6 months in retinal vein occlusion. Material and methods. The study involved 38 patients with a decreased vision due to macular edema following the unilateral retinal vein occlusion. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.06-0.4, the thickness of the retina in the central zone: ≥430μm, the duration of macular edema: from 4 weeks to 9 months. All patients underwent the standard and optional ophthalmic examinations: OCT, fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. Results. An improvement of visual acuity and a decrease in retinal thickness were observed in all patients 1 month after the IVI in 100 % of cases (0.05-0.4, by 85- 360μm from the initial data), respectively; during the visit at 4 months a decrease in retinal thickness after injection was observed in 89 % of patients and was 115-275μm from the initial value; it returned in 10 % to the original level before the IVI; the study of retinal thickness 6 months after the injection of the Ozurdex drug demonstrated its reduction by 110-270 microns from the baseline in 66 %, 60 % of them were within the normal range; relapsed edema occurred in 34 %. During the study, two adverse events were registered such as progression of cataracts and ophthalmic hypertension in 21 % of patients. Conclusion. The Ozurdex injection promotes a long-term and significant improvement of visual acuity in patients with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion. One injection improves the BCVA and reduces persistently the thickness of the retina according to the OCT data for the period up to 6 months in 66 % of patients, but a relapse of its edema is registered with the decreased BCVA in 34 % of patients that requires a further research.